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Weihnachten is the observance of what is commonly known in English as Christmas Day in the German-speaking countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It is also widespread in countries with a German-speaking minority, such as Transylvania in Romania, South Tyrol in Italy, Eupen in Belgium, and various diasporas such as the German Brazilian and German American communities. Traditions of Weihnachten influenced Christmas and Advent culture throughout the world. ==Preparations== In preparation for Weihnachten (Christmas), many families celebrate Advent. This is a time of religious preparation for the arrival of das Christkind (the Christ Child). Traditional advent activities include the Adventskranz (Advent wreath), which is set up on the 4th Sunday before Christmas Day, the beginning of the season. Four candles adorn the wreath, and a new one is lit each week. Families often sing Christmas carols as they gather around the wreath to celebrate the preparation and Christmas season. Children also enjoy the advent calendar, which contains twenty-four doors (one for each day of December leading up to Christmas). Children open one door each day, and find a chocolate treat awaiting them. Many of the calendars also include pictures inside the doors, often Christmas-related. A significant part of the Christmas build-up occurs on 6 December, when it is Nikolaustag, a day commemorating Saint Nicholas. On the evening of 5 December children in Germany place a ''Nikolausstiefel'' (a boot or a shoe) in front of the street door. Overnight, the Nikolaus, a figure similar in appearance to Santa Claus in the USA, visits the house and fills the boots with sweets and sometimes even smaller presents if the children were good; otherwise they are left with only a rute (a cane composed of birch twigs). In Switzerland, on the evening of 6 December an empty small bag is placed in front of the door and some minutes or hours later the ''Samichlaus'' (Swiss German for Nikolaus) with his companion ''Schmutzli'' fills the bag and enters the house. During the Christmas period, the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) becomes a feature of almost every city in the German-speaking countries, town or village, where visitors enjoy stalls, entertainment, and savour food and ''Glühwein'' (mulled wine). Famous Christmastime treats include Lebkuchen (gingerbread), Stollen (fruit cake), and Marzipan (confectionery often made into sweets). Perhaps the most famed of these markets is the Christkindlesmarkt held in Nuremberg, that attracts millions of visitors every year. The Weihnachtsbaum (Christmas Tree) is usually put up in the afternoon of 24 December. The trees can be bought at special traders' sites, but some may still go into the forests and cut one themselves. Traditionally, on ''Heiligabend'' (Christmas Eve), in Germany, a simple meal will be prepared and served before or after the ''Bescherung'' ("time for exchanging gifts"), in contrast to the big meal on Christmas Day that is eaten in certain other countries such as Switzerland. Various polls repeatedly declare potato salad and Frankfurters/Wieners as Germany's favourite meal on ''Heiligabend''. Further typical meals may include fish, duck, goose, fondue or raclette. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Weihnachten」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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