Christmas traditions in

A u s t r i aA u s t r i aA u s t r i aA u s t r i a

Christians believe that the season of Advent serves a dual reminder of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting that Christians today endure for the second coming of Christ A sign of Advent in Austria is the Advent wreath. This is a Christian tradition that symbolizes the passage of the four weeks before Christmas. There are four candles on it. On every Sunday one more candle is lit.

Advent

Usually women create their wreaths themselves. Even children –boys as well as girls – like to do it.

In our school it has become a tradition to bind wreaths and afterwards the priest comes to sanctify them. It’s a ceremony in which we pray and sing songs together.

These photos were taken in our school on 27th Nov., 2009

Advent calendar The progression of the season for

children (at the age of 4-14) is marked with an Advent calendar, a practice introduced by German Lutherans .

The Advent calendar is made of cardboard or a textile and there are 24 “doors” with chocolate or other sweets inside. So children open up one “door” a day and they always look forward to the 24th “door” which normally is the biggest of all.

In some towns Austrians celebrate St. Nicholas Day each year on December 6th with a parade in which the Saint is accompanied by an evil monster, called “Krampus”.In some parts of Austria, “Saint Nicholas Eve” is also known as “Krampus Day”.

Teenagers take the opportunity to dress up as Krampus to come along. Others gather with their parents to watch the arrival of Saint Nicholas and Krampus, a creature who hits naughty children slightly with a whip.The devilish Krampus usually arrives rattling chains, drapped in furs and covered with a scary mask with horns, big teeth and a long tongue.

His name comes from the old

German word "krampen," meaning claw. Krampus traditionally carries a basket on his back in which he puts children who behave badly.

Saint Nicholas comes along with the Krampus. He visits families in their houses. He represents the good and brings presents for the children, for example nuts, peanuts,

chocolate, gingerbread, oranges and sweets.

• Christmas eve is on December 24th.The little children aren’t allowed to see the “gift giving room” during the entire day to give the “Christkind” a chance to grace the tree.

Christmas Eve is on December 24th.The little children aren’t allowed to see the “gift giving room” during the entire day to give the “Christkind” a chance to grace the tree.

In the evening before the feast, the gift giving begins. The Christmas bell rings and this is the signal that everything is ready. Then the candles on the Christmas tree are lit and especially little children are fascinated by the sight of it.

First the family pray and then

“Silent Night” is sung.

At the same time “Wunderkerzen

(sparkling candles) are burnt.

Finally the gifts are opened.

Late in the evening there is a church service called “Mette”.

It’s a Christian tradition to celebrate the birth of Christ.

The world’s most famous Christmas song, “Silent Night,” comes from Austria. Called “Stille Nacht” in its original German, this beautiful Christmas carol is now sung and enjoyed around the world in hundreds of languages.

On a cold Christmas Eve in 1818 pastor Joseph Franz Mohr (1792-1848) walked the three kilometres from his home in the Austrian village Oberndorf near Salzburg to visit his friend Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863). Mohr brought with him a poem he had written two years earlier. He desperately needed a carol for the Christmas Eve midnight mass that was only hours away.

1. Stille Nacht! Heil'ge Nacht!Alles schläft; einsam wachtNur das traute heilige Paar.Holder Knab' im lockigten Haar,|: Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh! :|

2. Stille Nacht! Heil'ge Nacht!Gottes Sohn, o wie lachtLieb' aus deinem göttlichen Mund,Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund'.|: Jesus in deiner Geburt! :|

One of the many amazing things about this carol is that Franz Gruber composed the “Stille Nacht” melody for Mohr in just a few hours on that December 24th, 1818.

Every Christmas Eve there is also a traditional Christmas meal: carp, goose, or turkey, nut

bread, and many different cookies for dessert. The most important one is “Gingerbread”.

“Frisch und g’sund” is on Dec. the 28th. The children go from house to house and say a poem, and they come with a bunch of birch lop and hit adults slightly while saying the poem. The poem is said to bring good luck for the new year and the children get money.

Single musicians or a group come to every house and play with bugles, flutes, drums and other instruments. One of them goes into the house and wishes the family all the best for the new year. Of course they get money and some snacks.

It has long been a Philharmonic tradition at the New Year to present a program consisting of the lively and at the same time nostalgic music from the vast repertoire of the Johann Strauss family and its contemporaries. These concerts not only delight the audiences in Vienna, but also enjoy great international popularity through the world wide television broadcasts, which now reach over 50 countries.

It is the desire of the Philharmonic not only to provide musically definitive interpretations of masterworks, but at

the same time, as musical ambassadors of Austria, to send people all over the world a New Year's greeting in

the spirit of hope, friendship and peace.

In the evening people usually eat a very nice meal and cookies or sandwiches. At midnight they shoot lots of fireworks into the sky.

Then they drink “Sekt” or “champagne” and dance (particularly the “Wienerwalzer”) and give each other lucky charms, for example a little pig, clover, a small chimney sweep, bulks, horse shoes, ladybirds or mushrooms.

On January the 6th the Three Holy Kings Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar appear in St.Peter as well as in all other villages and towns of Austria. They are not real kings and not really holy, but they are kids from the region. They dress up as kings, go from house to house and collect money for the people in poor countries.

They all have a different complexion. Caspar’s is red, Melchior’s is yellow and Balthazar’s is black.

In each house they sing at least three songs, for example “The Star of Bethlehem”. And they give incense to each family. When they leave the house they write with a piece of chalk the letters C+M+B on the door. This should bring luck to the house and the family.

Christmas traditions in

A u s t r i aA u s t r i aA u s t r i aA u s t r i a