CHRISTMAS IN SWITZERLAND
For many, the month of December with its many events is the best time of the year. This is especially true for children who start getting antsy when “Christmas” is mentioned. For children in Switzerland the magic of the season kicks off with a gift of an Advent Calendar. They receive it with the admonishment that they can only open one window-flap each day -no peeking! Needless to say, the first thing they do is locate all 24 little windows as soon as they receive the calendars. In some Bernese Oberland villages individual homes decorate an “Advent Window” in their home. Each evening starting the first of December another window in another home is lit until there are 24 “life-sized” windows brightly shining in the village. Parties, Glühwein, food and music are part of the celebration.
In the United States Santa Claus is the one delivering gifts to children on December 25th. In Switzerland, depending where you live, you receive presents from the “Baby Jesus’ or “Father Christmas” on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day. In some Cantons gifts are given on Epiphany on January 6th. Don’t fret! St Nick does visit Switzerland, but he does it earlier in the month. Tradition has it that St Nicholas (known as “Samichlaus” in the Swiss-German speaking Cantons) comes by on the 6th of December to visit children and find out if they have been good or bad. If good, they will receive mandarin oranges, nuts, fruit, cookies & chocolates. If not, they will have to answer to Schmutzli, St Nicholas’ companion who metes out admonishments & punishments. When we were kids, we put out shoes on the front doorstep on the evening of the 5th of December with the hope that they would be filled with gifts when we woke up on St Nicholas Day.
S. to put up the Christmas tree early in the month and place gifts under the tree in the course of the month of December or late at night on Christmas Eve when the children are in bed; the practice differs somewhat in Switzerland depending where you live. The prevalent custom is that in the afternoon of the 24th children are given a bath and then sent out with an aunt or uncle for a long walk. During their absence the parents will put up the tree, decorate it with live candles, and place gifts under its branches. When the kids return they are sent up to their rooms for a rest with instructions not to come in the living room until called. When the family is ready to gather around the tree, children are called to see if the angels or Christ child has visited them with gifts & set up a tree for them. In some families the children have to recite a poem or sing a Christmas song before the gift sharing begins.
Christmas traditions vary from region to region and family to family, but there is one constant factor in all the celebrations…..home-baked Christmas cookies. Every family has its favorites. We posted the recipes of ours on this site. Click here. Merry Christmas, Schöni Wiehnachte, Joyeux Noël, Buon Natale, & Bellas festas de Nadal to all.
For many, the month of December with its many events is the best time of the year. This is especially true for children who start getting antsy when “Christmas” is mentioned. For children in Switzerland the magic of the season kicks off with a gift of an Advent Calendar. They receive it with the admonishment that they can only open one window-flap each day -no peeking! Needless to say, the first thing they do is locate all 24 little windows as soon as they receive the calendars. In some Bernese Oberland villages individual homes decorate an “Advent Window” in their home. Each evening starting the first of December another window in another home is lit until there are 24 “life-sized” windows brightly shining in the village. Parties, Glühwein, food and music are part of the celebration.
In the United States Santa Claus is the one delivering gifts to children on December 25th. In Switzerland, depending where you live, you receive presents from the “Baby Jesus’ or “Father Christmas” on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day. In some Cantons gifts are given on Epiphany on January 6th. Don’t fret! St Nick does visit Switzerland, but he does it earlier in the month. Tradition has it that St Nicholas (known as “Samichlaus” in the Swiss-German speaking Cantons) comes by on the 6th of December to visit children and find out if they have been good or bad. If good, they will receive mandarin oranges, nuts, fruit, cookies & chocolates. If not, they will have to answer to Schmutzli, St Nicholas’ companion who metes out admonishments & punishments. When we were kids, we put out shoes on the front doorstep on the evening of the 5th of December with the hope that they would be filled with gifts when we woke up on St Nicholas Day.
S. to put up the Christmas tree early in the month and place gifts under the tree in the course of the month of December or late at night on Christmas Eve when the children are in bed; the practice differs somewhat in Switzerland depending where you live. The prevalent custom is that in the afternoon of the 24th children are given a bath and then sent out with an aunt or uncle for a long walk. During their absence the parents will put up the tree, decorate it with live candles, and place gifts under its branches. When the kids return they are sent up to their rooms for a rest with instructions not to come in the living room until called. When the family is ready to gather around the tree, children are called to see if the angels or Christ child has visited them with gifts & set up a tree for them. In some families the children have to recite a poem or sing a Christmas song before the gift sharing begins.
Christmas traditions vary from region to region and family to family, but there is one constant factor in all the celebrations…..home-baked Christmas cookies. Every family has its favorites. We posted the recipes of ours on this site. Click here. Merry Christmas, Schöni Wiehnachte, Joyeux Noël, Buon Natale, & Bellas festas de Nadal to all.