Viennese Christmas traditions

As kids we were always told that Santa Claus and his reindeer had to travel all over the world in one night in order to get all the toys to all the good kids, but more importantly, we've always been told that Christ loves all of the children in the world. So, naturally, I've always known that Christmas is a world-wide holiday. Little did I know that the traditions for one holiday could differ so much from country to country.

Obviously the main origins of the holiday are the same, but this year, after having spent the first 18 years of my life in the states with the same traditions every year, my eyes were opened to new traditions, new ways of celebrating, and lots of yummy new recipes!! :)

During the month of December, as you walk through the city (or any town for that matter), it becomes quite apparent that Christmas is the most important holiday celebrated in Austria with all the beautiful, huge, and intricate decorations. As is the case with most European countries, December 6th is actually the day that Saint Nicholas, the giver of gifts, comes. He comes to all the children who have been good that year and brings them the traditional apples, mandarin oranges, peanuts and chocolate. Rather then setting up trees in their homes in the beginning of december and leaving them up to enjoy for the whole month, Austrians don't set up the tree until the morning of the 24th. Instead they enjoy other decorations, the most popular one being the Advent-Kranz, which translates to Advent-wreath. On top of these wreaths there stands 4 candles, one for each of the 4 sundays before Christmas. One candle is lit on the first sunday, 2 on the second and so on until Christmas when all four candles are lit at the same time. After the tree is finally set up on the morning of the 24th, each family dresses up in there best clothes and gathers together with all their relatives for a nice dinner. The traditional Austrian Christmas dinner consists of Gebackener Karpfen (Fried Carp) and Sachertorte (Chocolate and apricot cake), and the most delicious cookies ever, which are called, Vanilla Kipferln. (To all those who know me and my eating habits really well, you'll be shocked and proud to know that ... yes, I did in fact try the fish... just to confirm that ... yes, I do in fact still hate it!!!) After the meal the family relocates from their gathering around the table to a new gathering around the tree, where they proceed to read the biblical story of Christ's birth. Following the reading they all sing Christmas songs such as Silent Night (Stille Nacht) and Oh Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum).

*Fun Fact- One of the worlds most popular Christmas carols, Silent Night, was written and first played here in Austria in a town called Oberndorf near Salzburg in 1818. The story is... On Christmas Eve the priest went to the church only to discover that the organ was not working. The leather bellows that are used to pump air through the pipes had lots of holes in them. So the priest, not wanting to have a Christmas without music showed the organist a hymn he had written and the organist, Franz Bauer, quickly composed a tune for it that could be played on a guitar.

Finally, after all the eating and singing, the kids are allowed to go crazy and open all their presents. However, here in Austria the kids don't believe in Santa Claus. They are taught that their gifts are brought by the 'Christkindl' (Christ child), a golden-haired baby with wings who symbolizes the new born Christ. The story is told that the Christ child comes down from heaven on Christmas Eve and decorates and distributes trees.

German Lyrics:

Silent Night

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Hirten erst kundgemacht
Durch der Engel Halleluja,
Tönt es laut von fern und nah:
Christ, der Retter ist da!
Christ, der Retter ist da!

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
Lieb' aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund'.
Christ, in deiner Geburt!
Christ, in deiner Geburt!

O Christmas Tree

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
Du grünst nicht nur
zur Sommerzeit,
Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit
Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Dein Kleid will mich
was lehren:
Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit
Gibt Trost und Kraft
zu jeder Zeit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
Das soll dein Kleid
mich lehren.

German Christmas Recipes

Gebackener Karpfen (Fried Carp)

3 - 3 ½ lb.s carp fillet
Salt
Flour
Bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
¼ lb. shortening (not butter)
1 lemon, sliced

Wash fish fillet and cut into serving slices. Sprinkle with sale and let stand for 1 hour. Put bread crumbs, flour, and beaten eggs in three separate dishes. Roll each slice of fish first in flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. Fry slices on both sides in shortening until golden brown. Arrange slices on a hot platter and garnish with lemon.

Sachertorte (Chocolate and Apricot Cake)

1 cup butter
8 egg yolks
6 oz. cooking chocolate
1 cup confectioner's sugar
Vanilla
10 egg whites
1 cup flour
4 tablespoons apricot jam

Cream butter. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Add gradually to creamed butter melted chocolate, sugar , and the egg yolks, one by one, stirring constantly. Add flour and a dash of vanilla and beat well. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter. Pour mixture into a well-greased 10-inch mold. Bake at 300 degrees F. for about 1 hour. Let cool and turn out of mold. Split and spread heated and slightly diluted apricot jam over the lower half of the cake. Replace top and brush with apricot jam and cover with chocolate frosting. (Recipe below.)

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup sugar
7 ox. cooking chocolate
1 cup water

Boil sugar and water until sugar is completely dissolved. Melt the chocolate separately in a double boiler. Add sugar syrup gradually to chocolate, stirring constantly. When cooled, frost the cake.

Weihnachtsbaeckerei (Christmas cookies)

4 ½ cups flour
1 ½ cups sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup milk
1 egg yolk
5 eggs
3 tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups butter

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt onto a board. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk to butter and sugar. Mix lightly. Pour the moist ingredients into a depression in the flour and work ingredients into a dough with a knife. Divide the dough into 4 parts. Roll out and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter. Place on a greased baking sheet and brush with egg yolk.

Bake in a moderate oven, at 300-350, until golden brown.