The Christkind
What is the Christkind?
Das Christkind (German "The Christ-child", pronounced /krist-kint/) is the traditional Christmas gift-bringer in regions of Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as a number of other countries such as the Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Hungary, parts of Hispanic America, in certain areas of southern Brazil and in the Acadiana region of Louisiana. In Italy it is called Gesù Bambino (Italian for "Baby Jesus"), in Hungary its name is Jézuska (Hungarian for "Little Jesus"), in Slovakia Ježiško ("Little Jesus") and in the Czech Republic Ježíšek ("Little Jesus"). Originated by Martin Luther, explicitly to discourage the figure of St. Nicholas, at the Reformation in 16th-17th century Europe, many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or Christkindl, and the date of giving gifts changed from December 6 to Christmas Eve. A gift-bringer familiar to German children, the Christkind bears little resemblance to the infant of Bethlehem.The Christkind was adopted in Catholic areas during the 19th century, while it has begun to be, in a rather surprising turnabout, gradually replaced by a more or less secularized version of Saint Nicholas, the Weihnachtsmann (Father Christmas, Santa Claus) in Protestant regions.
The Christkind is a sprite-like child, usually depicted with blond hair and angelic wings. Martin Luther intended it to be a reference to the incarnation of Jesus as an infant. Sometimes the Christ Child is, instead of the infant Jesus, interpreted as a specific angel bringing the presents, as it appears in some processions together with an image of little Jesus Christ. Children never see the Christkind in person, and parents tell them that Christkind will not come and bring presents if they are curious and try to see it. The family enters the living room, where the Christmas tree has been decorated, for the opening of presents (the Bescherung) only after the parents say that they think that the Christkind who has brought the presents has left. In some traditions, the departure is announced by the ringing of a small bell, which the parents pretend to have heard or which is secretly rung by one of the adult members of the family.
Christkindl or Christkindel are diminutive versions of Christkind. Christkind and Belsnickel are also found among communities of Volga German descent in Argentina. A well-known figure is the Christkind at the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, which is represented by a young woman chosen every year for this task. In Denver we recently announced that Ms. Evi Zillmer (photo right) was chosen as our 2011 Christkindl. She will represent us at several events and will appear during our grand opening ceremony on November 26 at 5pm.
Since the 1990s, in Germany the Christkind has faced increasing competition from the Weihnachtsmann in the form of the American version, caused by the use of Santa Claus as an advertising figure. Santa Claus as an advertising figure has been prominently used in the United States since the Macy's Department Store Thanksgiving-to-Christmas marketing campaigns of the 1870s.
