German/Level I/Das Fest

Lesson I.10: Das Fest

This lesson deals with the Christmas time in the German language countries, where you learn some traditions and vocabularies about Christmas. You'll also learn about "there is" and "there are" in German and about the dative case.

Dialogue
Read and listen to the following dialogue between mother and daughter: Roswitha and Anja. Both of them want to decorate for Christmas.


 * In Austria Adventkranz

Es gibt

 * The English words there is and there are are both in German es gibt. When you ask someone, if there's a snowman, you say Gibt es hier einen Schneemann?. Many German native speaker put the words gibt and es into gibt's.

Weihnachten in Deutschland
In Germany the advent season begins on Sunday four weeks before Christmas. It's the day where many families decorate their houses or flats, begin to bake some biscuits and start to sing some Christmas carols. One typical decoration is the advent wreath, which has four candles - one candle is lit in the first week, two candles in the second week, etc. - and normally stands on the dining table or on the coffee table. Another tradition, especially for children, is the advent calendar that you hang on the wall. They've often got 24 doors and you're only allowed to open one a day. Other typical Christmas decorations are a crib, a Räuchermann - a wooden figure that blows flavour of incense cones - in Northern Germany a Moosmann, Christmas pyramids and Schwibbogen and nutcrackers and poinsettias and much more. Most Christmas markets start in the first week of Advent. There you can buy some little Christmas presents, decorations, ride some carnival rides, and often drink some hot spiced wine - the children drink punch for children, listen to carolers and enjoy a warm, snowy atmosphere. On the 6th of December, German children celebrate St. Nicholas Day. The children put a boot in front of the door and wait until St. Nicholas brings little presents that are often sweets, walnuts, apples, tangerines and oranges. Bad children get birching by Knecht Ruprecht (which is now forbidden in Germany). Pupils do a secret Santa with other pupils on the last school days before the Christmas holidays, which are often two or three weeks long. St. Nicholas looks similar to Santa Claus who brings big presents on the evening of the 24th of December; in Southern Germany Christkind brings the presents. Most families decorate their Christmas trees on this day with Christmas baubles and tinsel and candles and so forth. After the Christmas dinner, the whole family sits next to the Christmas tree and exchanges gifts.


 * Do you have the Christmas spirit yet? -  Bist du schon in Weihnachtsstimmung?
 * Do you decorate your house this year? -  Schmückst du dieses Jahr dein Haus?
 * On St. Nicholas Day gets Julian a little present. - An Nikolaustag bekommt Julian ein kleines Geschenk.
 * The Queen takes every year a Christmas Day Speech.  -  Die Queen hält jedes Jahr eine Weihnachtsansprache.
 * The whole room is sweet with cinnamon. - Der ganze Raum duftet nach Zimt.

Dativsätze

 * The Dativ, also called 3. Fall or Wemfall is in the German language the third object.
 * Die Kokosmakronen gehören der Anja. - You ask: Wem gehören die Kokosmakronen? - the answer is: Der Anja (gehören die Kokosmakronen).
 * Lisa schenkt (dem) Björn ein Spekulatius - You ask: Wem schenkt Lisa ein Spekulatius? - the answer is: Dem Björn (schenkt Lisa ein Spekulatius).

Weihnachtsessen
das Plätzchen, der Keks        cookie die Ausstecher                 cookie cutter das Nudelholz                  rolling pin die Vanillekipferl             vanilla cornets der Lebkuchen                  gingerbread das Lebkuchenhaus              gingerbread house die Kokosmakrone               coconut macaroon die Spitzbuben                 jammy dodgers, linzer eye a biscuit with currant jam and icing powdered sugar die Pfeffernuss                spice nut der Christstollen              stollen die Marzipankartoffel          marzipan potato die Weihnachtsgans             Christmas goose der Weihnachtskarpfen          Christmas carp der Truthahn                   turkey Würstchen und Kartoffelsalat   sausages and potato salad das Spekulatius                almond biscuit der Baumkuchen                 pyramid cake der Mürbeteig                  shortcrust der Springerle                 springerle das Bethmännchen               bethmännchen typical Frankfurt marzipan biscuits der Zimtstern                  star-shaped cinnamon biscuit das Früchtebrot                fruitcake der Bratapfel                  roast apple der Dominostein                domino  a candy that you can eat in advent time die Zuckerstange               candy cane der Glühwein                   hot spiced wine der Kinderpunsch               punch for children das Kenkentjüch                kenkentjüch cookies from northern Germany die gebrannte Mandeln          roasted almonds das Weihnachtsessen            Christmas dinner das Hirschhornsalz             salt of harts horn der Zimt                       cinnamon der Puderzucker                icing powdered sugar das Aroma                      flavour

So in Swabian they call it Plätzle or Brötle and in Bavaria Platzerl. In Switzerland they call it Guetsli. In Austria and Bavaria they call it Nudelwalker and in Switzerland Wallholz.
 * In the southern part of Germany they have other words for Plätzchen.
 * Other names for Nudelholz are Teigrolle, Wellholz, Wälgerholz and Rollholz rare.