German Christmas Traditions
I’m breaking from my Secret Service history series because my publisher is celebrating Christmas in July with a Kindle sale on We Three Kings! You can hop over to Amazon between July 18 and 25 and snag it for $2.99. With my publisher’s e-book prices hovering around $12 these days, now is the best time to snag your copy.
To celebrate, I thought it would be fun to share about the German Christmas traditions you’ll find in We Three Kings. If you want to learn more about the novella collection, you can find it below.
We Three Kings is a 3-novella collection from me, Cara Putman, and Angela Ruth Strong that follows three generations of one family. Since Cara wanted to connect her novella to her WWII novels, it only made sense that the family line would be of German heritage. Not only did that give us some fun historical scenarios to work with, but it also gave us a rich and deep well of Christmas traditions to incorporate into our stories. The following traditions appear in the collection, and I’ve indicated which novella they appear in.
Nikolaustag – “Star of Wonder”
All over the world, December 6 is known as St. Nikolaus Day. It is a celebration of Saint Nikolaus, the Bishop of Myra and the patron saint of seafarers and children. Children leave their shoes outside their door for Saint Nikolaus to deposit a sweet treat for their year of good behavior. However, in Germany, Saint Nikolaus is accompanied by a more sinister figure who carries a sack and a switch. Bad children could be given a switch or taken away in the sack. This assistant has various names depending on the region. The two most familiar being Krampus and Knecht Ruprecht. I chose to use Knecht Ruprecht in my story since he first appeared in a seventeenth-century Nuremberg Christmas procession, and Krampus appears to be used more often in the Alpine Region.
Weihnachtsmarkt—German Christmas Markets – “Star of Wonder”
These open-air markets are a German Christmas tradition that signals the beginning of the Advent season and dates back to the Middle Ages. Traditionally, the stalls are made from timber, and everything sold must be locally produced and handmade. The atmosphere for this unique experience is set by twinkling lights, music, and the scents of traditional German foods and a hot mulled wine called Glühwein. If you ever get the chance to go, be sure to check out the hand-carved ornaments, Advent calendar wreaths, and my favorite, Quetschemännchen—the little figurines made from dried fruit and walnuts.
Epiphany – “Beauty Bright”
January 6 is the religious feast day known as Epiphany or das Dreikönigsfest (“three kings festival”) in Germany and some other locations. Epiphany commemorates the journey of the wise men who traveled to seek the Christ child. Often, the letters CMB are found written in chalk on the doors to welcome and commemorate these men. According to German-way.com, “Traditionally, the three letters in the inscription stand for the names of the three Wise Men (Magi): Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar (German spelling). Another possible explanation is that “C+M+B” stands for the Latin phrase: Christus mansionem benedicat, which translates into “Christ bless this house.” The inscription is usually made with chalk that has been blessed by a local Catholic priest.” While there are variations in how it is done, in Cara’s story, three men travel from door to door, offering blessings to those at home. Often, the children would also dress up, and sometimes, a leader of the procession would carry a star. Small gifts are given to the children, just as the wise men gave their gifts to the Christ child.
Martinstag – “Perfect Light”
Martinstag, or St. Martin’s Day, is celebrated on November 11 with a lantern parade. Tradition says St. Martin was a soldier who gave away his last cent when he spied a man shivering in the cold. Out of compassion, he took off his cloak and cut it in half with his sword to share. The whole town heard of his generosity and wanted to praise him. Embarrassed by the attention, St. Martin hid in a goose house, so the townsfolk had to use lanterns to search for him. Today, that search for him is mimicked through a lantern parade complete with song and, depending on where you are, candy.
Make Your Own German Paper Star from “Star of Wonder”
There is a reason why Celestia from “Start of Wonder” struggled to make her star. There are a LOT of steps. Depending on whether you are a video tutorial person or a printed instructions person, I’ve given you the link to two great options below:
Check out We Three Kings
In this Christmas collection, Weise men still seek Jesus—and love.
Three generations of men finding love during the Christmas season.
“Star of Wonder” by Crystal Caudill
2025 Christy Award Winner for Short Form
The Christmas-themed maiden voyage of his family’s grand steamer ship was supposed to be Aldrich Weise’s chance both to instill investor confidence and to romance Celestia Isaacs. Instead, he must foil a criminal and leave his lady love behind forever.
“Beauty Bright” by Cara Putman
Lieutenant Charles Weise served as a Monuments Man after World War II and now works to restore stolen art to rightful owners. Captain Lillian Thorsen pairs up with him not only to return treasures but also to fix the war-torn lives around them.
“Perfect Light” by Angela Ruth Strong
Essential oils mogul Brendon Wise is drawn to Lacey Foster, the event planner for his huge Christmas lights festival. But when he inadvertently makes a spectacle of her on television, Lacey wants nothing to do with him. Will a chance to give gifts to those in need at Christmas be the key to discovering common ground–and maybe love?
ABOUT CRYSTAL CAUDILL
Crystal Caudill is the author of “dangerously good historical romance.” Her debut novel, Counterfeit Love, was a 2023 Carol Award finalist, and her novella, “Star of Wonder,” won the 2024 Christy Award for short form. She loves history, hot tea, all things bookish, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She is a stay-at-home mom, caregiver, and chaos organizer. When she isn’t writing, Crystal can be found hanging with her family and playing board games at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio. Find out more at crystalcaudill.com.
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