Merry Christmas from Mitterteich, Germany
Karin Bahls, who grew up in Mitterteich, Germany still celebrates and enjoys many of the Christmas traditions she grew up with, including the Advent wreath, above, and linzer cookies. (Press photo by Shelia Tomkins)
By Caroline Rosacker
Christmas customs and traditions may vary around the world, but most have a common theme. Karin Bahls, longtime Guttenberg resident, spent most of her childhood in Mitterteich, Germany. Karin graciously agreed to share her beloved childhood Christmas memories. She began, "I, along with my mother, and older brother, Juergen arrived in Mitterteich in 1945 as German refugees from Oppeln. I was five years old and Juergen was a couple years older. My father was in World War I and II. My older brother, Harry, and older sister, Ulla, were also in the military – drafted by Hitler. They all survived World War II."
Advent
The Christmas season began early in the month. “You start out with the Advent — the tradition of celebrating Christmas. It is observed on the first Sunday in December in every home. It was a very strict Catholic village. We lit a candle in the Advent wreath every Sunday. They also lit a candle in the advent wreath in church," she commented.
Saint Nicholas
The beginning of Advent is followed by St. Nicholas Day. "The sixth of December was St. Nicholas Day. Some people put shoes out, but when I grew up you put a plate out in front of the door. St. Nicholas would leave an apple, or oranges and nuts and candy. You put it out on the fifth and it was there in the morning," Karin shared.
Knecht Ruprecht
St. Nicholas also visited school children in the classroom on the sixth, accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, a close companion whose character acted as a deterrent to the benevolent Christmas gift-bearer. He would threaten to thrash with a whip, or kidnap disobedient children. She recalled, "Knecht Ruprecht was a worker in the field – a farmhand. He dressed in brown, but St. Nicholas was dressed in red. Knecht Ruprecht asked questions as he went around by your desk and said, 'Have you been behaving yourself?' He smiled if you were good. St. Nicholas then passed out candy and he put it on the desk."
The intimidating folklore character caused a stir. Karin recalled, “When Knecht Ruprecht came in to the classroom he had a gunny sack and it looked like kids were in there. The sack had feet and arms sticking out through the holes — they were fake, but the smaller kids got scared."
Karin and her friend had a plan. She said, "When it was time to go to school that day my girlfriend said to me, 'We should take a little scissor in case he stuffs us in there – we can cut a hole. We can get back out!' So we did.” Fortunately they did not end up in the gunny sack.
Christmas Eve
Karin described her family's Christmas Eve traditions, explaining, "You never, ever saw a Christmas tree until you were done with supper on Christmas Eve, because the Christ Child (Christkindl) is Christmas, not St. Nicholas. We would eat and wait for the tree. It was usually placed in the living room by Christkindl, who was really my mother. Saint Nicholas has nothing to do with Christmas."
Tree lighting, caroling, gifting
When supper ended and everything was done, families were allowed to go in the room and light the candles on the tree. "In Germany you cut the trees, and they are fresh, so there is no worry about them catching fire. The real candles are put toward the end of the branches."
The tree lighting ceremony was followed by singing. "We would sing Silent Night and some more songs. Then my father handed the packages out. I never got any more than two little matchboxes, never. Similar in size to a bigger matchbox. I always played with tiny little dolls made out of plastic. My mom was a seamstress, and she made little curtains, everything for a little doll matchbox playhouse. But never big presents! On the other hand, time changes, but that is how I grew up," she said.
Midnight Mass
Mass was celebrated at midnight in the small German village. Karin recollected, "We stayed up until it was time for midnight mass at the church. It was decorated very pretty with candlelight and swags of greenery and a Christmas tree – beautiful! Very festive! It was really not just the presents, it was the music, the singing, it was so festive, you didn’t care about presents. It was so nice that Christkindl is coming. It had a different meaning then. In the little villages, the tradition remains."
Traditional German food
Traditional food was a large part of the Christmas celebration. "A Christmas Eve meal at our house was fried carp and fried potatoes. That was the meal. Christmas Day dinner usually consisted of a goose, potato balls and blaukraut. Christmas treats were stollen, linzer cookies, and cinnamon stars, pfeffernusse, marzipan and lebkuchen (gingerbread). My mom was a good cook, better than the bakery," she proudly shared.
Karin's mother baked all the cookies at home. "Yeast breads, stollen and Christmas cake were prepared at home and then taken to the bakery. The bakery would put it in the oven with the family's name on it and then they would pick it up. Everybody did that," she noted.
Karin married the late Lloyd Bahls in 1959. "Lloyd got to experience Christmas in Heilbronn in 1957 and 1958 before we got married and came to America. Such nice memories, I will never forget, but it will never be the same. I like the way I grew up," she concluded with a smile.
