Hello
I work in a primary school where we have some german children (their parents are on secondment in a large motorcar manufacturer) they are barely speaking english at the moment and I would love to make them feel a bit more at home.

I know that they have various customs over christmas, one of which includes a shoe on the 6th?  I wondered if there was anyone in the know who could tell me a bit more about it and if there was anything else that would be nice to introduce to the classroom.

Thank you so much,
x

No idea myself, but it might be worth you posting on the general topic board of the GSD Pedigree database, there are several German people who post there.

Hope you sort it out.  What a great idea to make it special for the new children and introduce different people's traditions to the existing kids :-)

MIL is German, married a Welsh soldier and lives here.

OH says the shoes are put out every night for 12 nights before Christmas, if the children have been naughty they get a stick or piece of coal (anything inedible) and if they've been good they get something nice.

Presents are opened on Christmas EVE and the Christmas dinner is also eaten then.  Christmas day is for church.

This may only be a Wesfalian tradition, as googling Christmas in Germany brings up different customs ???

Gingerbread houses are very popular - they can be home-made or bought in LIDL or ALDI (but not so much fun ;) , as can Stollen and Lebkuchen and also Christmas Spekulatius - a spiced biscuit in Christmas shapes.

It might be easier to make them feel at home if you find out what their customs are where they live ;)

Advent Calenders and Christmas Trees both originated on Germany :-D

what a lovely thought,good luck!

Penster is german if she sees this she may be able to help you.

I remember the sweets and lump of coal thing, my godmother was German. Afraid I can't remember any other details though. I wonder if Mum would appreciate the joke as they are over here for Christmas this year, of a lump of coal in a stocking..... :-D

Thank you for all your suggestions, in the end I have asked the Mother of one of the children (I didnt really want to do that as I wanted it to be a complete surprise, but I have asked her to keep it under her hat).  She has written a letter in german to go with a shoe of sweets that will be in the classroom for everyone on Monday morning, from Nicklaus (different from Father Christmas apparently). We can get the children to read out the letter in german and then the english version.  Having children in the class with a severe nut allergy and another with coeliac needs, Ive also had to find sweets that will suit both!

Apparently where they come from, the children clean one of their boots on the night of the 5th December and leave it outside of their room, in the morning Nicklaus if they have been good will leave sweets. If they have been naughty he will leave sticks! 

Thanks for your help
x

> Gingerbread houses are very popular - they can be home-made or bought in LIDL or ALDI (but not so much fun ;-) , as can Stollen and Lebkuchen and also Christmas Spekulatius - a spiced biscuit in Christmas shapes.

That's the chaps I couldn't remember the name of! Said to be nice dipped in mulled wine, if anyone's tried that? Aren't there also some non-alcoholic German spiced "wine" drinks?

When OH and his brother were little they told the children in their class about St Nickelaus, the shoes and presents, where their mum is from the shoes are cleaned and left out for 12 days !!!  and they get a little present or sweet or a stick/piece of coal if they've been naughty.

Naturally the other children tried this but the parents weren't aware.  OH and his brother got into huge trouble LOL