The video ALLE JAHRE WIEDER presents the Advent Season and its climax on Christmas Eve. Using many of the best known German Christmas songs, it provides us a chance to take students on a musical and cultural excursion with some of Germany's best known choirs: collegium musicum, Regensburger Domspatzen, Kölner Kinderchor, Tölzer Knabenchor, Berliner Mozartchor, Heino and the Sonntagskinder, and other soloists and music groups. Ordering information for the video
Since this video presents a great amount of cultural material, which is confusing to the novice, we produced several teaching aids, both for ourselves and for our students.
We usually take two class periods for this.
I. Using the Discussion Outline and Checklist we discuss differences and similarities between the American and the German Holiday Season. We begin with a comparison of the German Erntedankfest and the American Thanksgiving. Located on the 4th Thursday in November the American Thanksgiving falls right onto the beginning of the Advent Season.
II. Introduce the video and show on a map and in pictures/slides some of the places where the video takes place. It is filmed entirely in southern Germany. As in the U.S. there take place many concerts in cathedrals, churches and homes. Shown are close-ups of church interiors, from the romanesque to the baroque and rococo, magnificent altars and nativity scenes of the Wallfahrtskirche Grössweinstein, the Cathedral at Bamberg, the Church at Thurnau. The medieval city of Dinkelsbül serves as a backdrop and all of the shots of "Heino and the Sonntagskinder" are in Nürnberg and at the Nürnberger Christkindlmarkt. The opening scene of the "Frauentragen" takes place at the Königsee and the final shots are at the church in the Ramsau, Berchtesgaden.
III. Show and narrate the first three parts of the Video "INITIATING THE ADVENT SEASON," "WAITING FOR ST. NIKOLAUS (December 6)," and "WAITING FOR CHRISTMAS EVE" - Songs 1 -13. At the end of the period we answer questions and discuss the songs with the students.
IV. With the help of a song sheet which has several of these songs on
it, both in German and in English, we sing several of these with the
group prior to showing the video. You can find the following three of these with an
accompanying story on the links below.
16. O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree)
21. Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Behold A Branch Is Growing)
33. Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht - (Silent Night, Holy Night)
V. Show and narrate the final part "CHRISTMAS EVE HAS FINALLY ARRIVED" which begins with Number 14. "Church bells ringing."
Ordering information for the video
| DATE | HOLIDAY OR CELEBRATION | UNITED STATES | GERMAN - SPEAKING COUNTRIES |
| Check off the countries celebrating the following: | |||
| October | Erntedankfest | ||
| November | Thanksgiving (4th Thursday) | ||
| Last Friday in November |
Christmas tree is lit Christmas Markets open Shopping malls and stores open | ||
| Celebrations: |
Holiday Season Christmas Season Football Season Advent Hanukkah Kwanzaa | ||
| Early December | Herbergsuche, Frauentragen | ||
| December 5 and 6 | St. Nikolaus, St. Nicholas Klausentreiben/Bellsnickling | ||
| December 24 | Christmas Eve
Christbaum, Weihnachtsbaum/Christmas tree Weihnachtskrippe/creche-nativity scene Christmette - Christnachtfeier/Christmas Eve Service | ||
| December 24 | Weihnachtsmann, Christkindl | ||
| December 24 | Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, St. Nick | ||
| December 25 | beginning of the 12 days of Christmas | ||
| December 25 | legal Christmas holiday | ||
| December 26 | legal Christmas holiday | ||
| December 22 | Winter Solstice - bonfires | ||
| December 31 | Silvester/New Year's Eve | ||
| January 1 | Neujahr/New Year's Day official holiday | ||
| January 6 | Three Kings - end of the twelve days | ||
| January 7 to Ash Wed. | Karneval-Fasching | ||
| February 2 | Groundhog and Candlemas Day | ||
| Customs: |
Hanging of the green Adventskalender/Advent calendar Adventskranz/Advent wreath Weihnachtsmarkt/Christkindlmarkt Lebkuchen/gingerbread Hänsel and Gretel, Gingerbread house Zwetschgenmännlein and -weiblein Nussknacker/nutcracker Räuchermännlein/smokers Rauschgoldengel Kastanien/chestnuts Früchtebrot/fruit cake Krippenspiele/Christmas pageants Adventsingen - Sternsinger/Carolers | ||
Ruth and Eberhard Reichmann
Max Kade German-American Center, IUPUI
Return to Christmas Page for further links and information.