Christmas Traditions
By Marie Trupp Krieger
Marie Trupp Krieger, a resident of Portland, grew up on an Odessa area farm and graduated from Odessa High School and Washington State University. She was an occasional contributor of feature articles to The Odessa Record. She originally wrote the following narrative for a Christmas program of the Oregon Chapter of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia (AHSGR).
It is the custom for German Russian children to be dressed with individuality during the holiday season. Despite its religious name, the Christkind (Christ child) was not originally a Christian conception. Usually, the elder daughter or a neighbor girl played the part depicting a fairy. This tradition, native to the ancestral homeland on the Rhine since the middle of the 17th century, was most faithfully preserved in all the Catholic colonies of the Germans from Russia, and it was widely adopted by Lutheran communities. The Christkind brought goodies to reward those children who had been good throughout the year. She sometimes carried a switch to impress the small children.
Our Christkindchen (little Christ child) today is on her way to greet you. Did you hear the ringing of her bell as she announces her presence? She is dressed in white with a veil to cover her face and hopes to find many good children...
Another personality related to the holiday season is known as the Pelznickel (St. Nicolaus wearing a fur coat). He looks for naughty children to stuff into his sack, and it's a big one. He rattles a chain, and that spells real trouble. Notice his fur coat, actually a horse's hide with the original hair tanned and constructed into a garment which dates back to 1915 and purchased by my uncle, Adam Libsack (Lebsack), in Odessa...
Our Christkindchen (little Christ child) today is on her way to greet you. Did you hear the ringing of her bell as she announces her presence? She is dressed in white with a veil to cover her face and hopes to find many good children...
Another personality related to the holiday season is known as the Pelznickel (St. Nicolaus wearing a fur coat). He looks for naughty children to stuff into his sack, and it's a big one. He rattles a chain, and that spells real trouble. Notice his fur coat, actually a horse's hide with the original hair tanned and constructed into a garment which dates back to 1915 and purchased by my uncle, Adam Libsack (Lebsack), in Odessa...
Drawing of the "Pelznickel" and "Christkind" courtesy of Germán Sack.
Many of our ancestors wore a coat of this type in addition to a fur cap and felt boots to resist the cold weather and snow. The felt boots are known as Feltstiefel. They were brought from Russia many years ago...
Everyone has a favorite memory of Christmas. I can't forget my first orange. I kept it hidden in the closet for months. The aroma was out of this world. Eventually it shriveled, but it lasted a long, long time...
Everyone has a favorite memory of Christmas. I can't forget my first orange. I kept it hidden in the closet for months. The aroma was out of this world. Eventually it shriveled, but it lasted a long, long time...
Source
Story written by Marie Trupp Krieger and originally published in The Odessa Record on November 25, 1993.
Last updated November 6, 2016.