By Keva Hoffmann Boardman —

Christmas lights and decorations are going up all over town. I love all the green, the red, the shiny and the bright. Our German town founders did too.

The tradition of putting up a Christmas tree goes back to 16th century Europe. Germanic-speaking Christians brought fresh-cut evergreens into their houses and decorated them. Not the first time that people celebrated with trees; older cultures like the Druids, Romans and Vikings used trees to celebrate during winter solstice festivals. The German Christian Christmas tree had evolved from the Medieval practice of the “Paradise Tree”. A fir tree was decorated with apples and communion wafers on Christmas Eve and used as the central prop in the “Paradise Play” which told the story of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin and the promise of the coming Savior, Jesus. A tree, the cross, figures in this story as well.

The 16th century Christmas trees were decorated with baked goods and fruit. The first recorded decorated tree was in Riga, Latvia, in 1510.

The first recorded Christmas tree with a New Braunfels connection was reported by our well-known teacher, mayor and lawyer Hermann Seele, in his book, Assembled Writings. It was on December 14, 1843, that Seele’s ship landed in Galveston. A stranger in the Republic of Texas, Seele was feeling a bit lonely and homesick on Christmas Eve. He attended the Episcopal church Christmas Eve service. It was decorated with fresh dark green cedar garlands and well-lit with lamps and candles. Seele delighted in the feeling of his home country and in the choir’s beautiful songs.

Nostalgia set in and Hermann Seele found himself strolling the streets of the East End to see if perchance there was a Christmas tree he could glimpse through the window of a home. He did find a candle-lit tree and after gazing at it for a while, he returned to his lodgings a happy and more settled young man.

Also in Assembled Writings, Seele records the story of December 24, 1844. Here, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels is the hero by providing Christmas spirit and cheer for the children encamped with their parents at Indianola. The immigrants of the Johann Dethardt were camped in a grove of live oak trees for protection from the foul weather and access to firewood. Prince Carl decorated a small live oak with candles and presents for the children on their first Christmas in Texas. To accomplish this wonderful gift, Prince Carl had to have bought small presents and Christmas candles in Galveston before he sailed down to meet the immigrants at Indianola. Surely, that Christmas on the beach in 1844 was a precious and delightful memory for all.

Ferdinand Roemer, in Roemer’s Texas, wrote about his Christmas experience in New Braunfels. It is the first recorded Christmas that was celebrated on the Sophienburg Hill. For those who do not know, the Sophienburg Museum stands on that hill and is where the Adelsverein (Association) built their log headquarters. Named the Sophienburg by Prince Carl in honor of his fiancé Sophie, this is where the officers of the “Verein” were quartered. In 1846, geologist Ferdinand Roemer was passing through New Braunfels and was told by John O. Meusebach to ask Lt. von Coll for a place to stay within the “Verein Building”. Roemer writes, “According to a custom at home, Christmas Eve was celebrated in the company of the jolly companionship of the Verein’s officers around a richly decorated and candle-lit Christmas tree, for which a young cedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) was used.”

No mention is made of what was going on in the immigrant homes within the town, but I suspect that they, too, were gathering around their own freshly cut cedar trees. The tradition of cedar Christmas trees decorated with cookies, fruit, small gifts and candles was widespread in our founder families and carried on even after the addition of shiny glass ornaments. Funny thing, they used to sometimes use Spanish moss as icicle-like decoration.

Today our decorations go up around Thanksgiving. Back then building fronts were festooned with green cedar garlands the week of Christmas. The Christmas trees were put up that week as well, but no child ever saw the tree, or their gifts, until Christmas Eve. The big reveal of the decorated and candle-lit Christmas tree with presents was a magical and wonderful moment.

The Sophienburg Museum invites you to another precious, time-honored Christmas tradition in New Braunfels. On Friday, December 5, our German-speaking St. Nikolaus will visit on the eve of his feast day. It’s just $10 a family and a fun way to learn the story of St. Nikolaus, get a chance to take a photo and chat with him, make a kid’s craft and enjoy the Christmas decorations throughout the museum. Sophie’s Shop will also be open for purchasing German and other gifts.

Please RSVP at 830-629-1572 to reserve your family’s place at the 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. session.

My wish for you is that during the flurry of events and things we do during this holiday season, you stop and experience at least one moment of wonder and magic. Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Sources: Sophienburg Museum: Assembled Writings, Herman Seele; Roemer’s Texas, Ferdinand Roemer; Oscar Haas Collection.

“Around the Sophienburg” is published every other weekend in the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.

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By Tara V. Kohlenberg —

You might think it too early to speak of Christmas, but Halloween is over, Main Plaza is decked out in lights and we are now enjoying Wurstfest, the Ten-Day Salute to Sausage! Can Christmas be far behind? I think not. So, in keeping with the Sophienburg Museum & Archives’ mission to share our history, here is a look at some of the most popular German Christmas traditions and how they have carried over to current day New Braunfels.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ. The four weeks leading up to Christmas is called Advent, which serves as a time of anticipation and preparation for the birth and coming of Christ. In Germany you will often see Advent wreaths (Adventskranz). The tradition of Advent wreaths was begun by German Lutherans in the 16th century. The wreath is made of four candles set down in a base of pine branches, dried flowers and Christmas ornaments. Here in New Braunfels, Advent has traditionally been celebrated by Lutheran, Catholic and Protestant denominations, but is being seen more in other denominations now as well. Each Sunday in Advent, which begins November 27 this year, a candle will be lit on the wreath, lighting one candle every Sunday until all are lit. Sometimes, a fifth candle will be lit on Christmas Eve.

The Advent calendar (Adventskalendar) is the countdown to Christmas for German children. Every day for the four weeks before Christmas, a window in the advent calendar is opened to reveal a poem, candy or a small gift. Advent calendars flood shops across Germany during this season. Here is New Braunfels, Advent calendars can be found at Sophie’s Shop at New Braunfels’ Weihnachtsmarkt.

St Nikolaus Day (Sankt Nikolaus Tag), also called the Feast of Saint Nikolaus, observed on 6 December, is the feast day of Saint Nicholas of Myra. It is a favorite holiday with German children. St. Nikolaus is not the jolly, old, bearded Santa that we know. He is a little gruffer, taking more interest in the children behaving and learning their prayers. On the night of December 5, children clean and polish their boots and leave them outside the door before going to sleep. Next morning, they find their shoes filled with nuts, candy, and small gifts from St Nikolaus. Here is New Braunfels, children hang stockings. St. Nikolaus visits the Sophienburg Museum on December 5, to find out if the children have been good. Call the Sophienburg to RSVP for your family now.

Some of the most wonderful things associated with Christmas in Germany are the Christmas markets. (Weihnachtsmarkt). The origins of outdoor Christmas markets can be traced back to the German-speaking part of Europe in the Middle Ages. The opening of most European Christmas markets coincides with the beginning of the celebration of Advent in late November or early December. A few thousand Christmas markets are held all over Germany each year. The sights, sounds and smells are unforgettable.

Stollen, Lebkuchen and Glühwein, the foods & drink that soothe the longing for German Christmas treats, can be found at the markets. Stollen is a traditional German Christmas pastry. More like a bread, it is made with dried fruits, nuts, and spices and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Lebkuchen, another special German Christmas treat, resembles gingerbread. It is made with honey, spices and nuts. The Christmas season is not complete without a steaming cup of Glühwein, a necessity for warding off the winter cold chill. In New Braunfels, Stollen and gingerbread are sold at the markets more than Lebkuchen. Likewise, Glühwein is not served as often as Wassail.

Here in Texas, our Christmas is rarely cold. Or snowy. And it has been known to rain. In fact, we can wear short sleeves and flip flops well into December, but that doesn’t stop us from having a Weihnachtsmarkt. In New Braunfels, our Weihnachtsmarkt was born of the need for a major fundraiser to benefit the Sophienburg Museum and Archives and the idea of sharing the history of the German village Christmas markets here in New Braunfels

The first New Braunfels’ Weihnachtsmarkt opened in December 1989. While desiring the market to resemble those in Germany, directors knew it was wise to stay within the realm of New Braunfels, Texas. Our market is similar in that visitors can do all their Christmas shopping in one location, choosing from a variety of artisans and vendors selling European and American Christmas ornaments and decorations, food, clothing, toys, antiques, jewelry, and more. The biggest difference is that our Weihnachtsmarkt is always held indoors in deference to security needs and possible winter storms with high winds. The bulk of the workload is carried by hundreds of dedicated volunteers. Even though it is a busy time of the year, people willingly volunteer because the event benefits the Sophienburg Museum and Archives.

This year’s Weihnachtsmarkt takes place Friday, November 18 through Sunday, November 20 at the New Braunfels Convention and Civic Center. It really has become much more than a fundraiser. Following on the heels of Wurstfest, the event kicks off holiday shopping in New Braunfels. The glittering Star Party Gala on Thursday night offers VIP Early Weihnachtsmarkt Shopping while enjoying an evening of cocktails, delicious hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and entertainment. The first holiday party of the season, this is a night that you do not want to miss. On Saturday, children can enjoy a morning full of fun and festivities with Santa himself! Breakfast with Santa offers a classic Christmas experience, featuring a delicious breakfast, arts and crafts, and photos with Santa. He is also available for photos during Market hours on Saturday and Sunday. We hold tightly to our German traditions here in New Braunfels. Come experience Weihnachtsmarkt to see why. www.newbraunfelsweihnachtsmarkt.com

Sources: Sophienburg Museum and Archives

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