Traditional German Carols, from Family Christmas OnlineTMIf you've looked around our site much, you'll realize that many popular U.S. Christmas traditions - including the Christmas tree - actually come from German-speaking peoples. In fact, families from Germany, Austria, and other German-speaking states built many of the communities and much of the infrastructure of our growing land. Even today, a simple look at street signs in most communities between the Hudson and the Mississippi will still tell you that the "Hokes" and the "Funderburgs" and hundreds of thousands of other German-speaking families laid many of the cultural and even the physical foundations that others have built upon in the last century.Other Germanic Contributions to ChristmasChristmas was as important (if not more important) to German-speaking peoples as to any other culture. They gave us, not only the Christmas tree, but the first glass Christmas tree decorations. They also helped popularize the use of Christmas cards (which were usually postcards at first) - between 1890 and 1910, a high proportion of the Christmas cards sent in this country were printed by German printers, and many were printed in German. In addition, between 1850 and 1970, most of the imported Nativity sets sold in the United States were made in German-speaking countries as well. In other words, much of what we take for granted about Christmas celebrations today comes straight from Germanic cultures in Europe and North America. German Christmas Carols we Sing TodaySo it's not surprising that German influence on North American Christmas music is also profound. German-speaking peoples brought over, not only the Christmas tree, but also "O Tannenbaum." They not only made most of the Nativity sets that North Americans families used in their homes - they also brought us the Austrian hymn "Stille Nacht" ("Silent Night"). Being half-German myself, I especially appreciate the devotion and enthusiasm that my German ancestors showed toward the Christmas season. In fact, when I was a small child, my mother had relatives who could sing both songs in German and understand what they were singing. This collection is small for the moment, but it will grow in time. In the meantime, it celebrates centuries of Germanic commitment to make Christmas a time for quiet reflection as well as a time for family celebrations.
If you have any comments, additions, or corrections you would like to make about these pages, please contact me and I will be glad to hear from you. God bless - Paul |
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