Christkind

Origins and spread

Martin Luther introduced the Christkind during the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation in Europe. The reformers wanted to shift focus away from Catholic veneration of Saint Nicholas and draw attention back to the infant Jesus. This change moved the primary day of giving presents from the sixth of December to Christmas Eve. Over time, Catholic communities across southern Germany and other European regions also adopted the custom during the nineteenth century. Settlers later carried the practice to Latin America and parts of the United States, where local names and variations developed over generations.

Christmas Eve customs

On the evening of twenty-fourth December, parents ask children to stay out of the living room while presents are arranged under the decorated tree. Household tradition holds that curious children who try to catch a glimpse will receive nothing. When the gifts are safely placed, adults signal that the visitor has departed, often by ringing a tiny hidden bell. The family then enters together for the gift-giving, known in German as the Bescherung. In places like the Czech Republic, some families also credit this unseen figure with bringing and decorating the Christmas tree itself.

Companions and local lore

Over the centuries, regional customs paired the gentle child with contrasting figures. In nineteenth-century Alsace, a woman in white with a golden crown and lit candles portrayed the gift-bringer, accompanied by the menacing, soot-faced Hans Trapp. In Swabia, a straw-covered companion known as Pelzmärte carried chains, a basket, and bells. In Czech households, the figure is known as Ježíšek, remaining popular despite low rates of church attendance. Modern cities also honour the tradition publicly, such as in Nuremberg, where a local woman is chosen every two years to represent the Christkind.

How Christkind is kept

On Christmas Eve, children wait outside the main room while adults place presents beneath the Christmas tree. Parents tell the young that the Christkind visits in secret and will leave if spotted. Once the gifts are delivered, someone secretly rings a small bell or announces that the visitor has gone. The family then gathers inside the living room to celebrate the gift opening, known as the Bescherung, and unbox their presents together around the tree.

When and where

The tradition takes place annually on Christmas Eve, the twenty-fourth of December. This timing stems from the Protestant Reformation, which moved the custom of winter gift-giving from Saint Nicholas Day on the sixth of December to the night before Christmas.

The Christkind is prominent throughout Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and parts of France and Poland. It is also kept in parts of Latin America, such as Brazil and Argentina, as well as the Acadiana region of Louisiana.

What Christkind means

The figure originally symbolised the incarnation of Jesus as a baby, directing focus toward the birth of Christ rather than the veneration of saints. Over the centuries, popular imagination blended this meaning with angelic imagery, portraying the gift-bringer as a winged sprite or radiant angel. For many families, keeping the tradition represents an effort to maintain the spiritual heart of the winter holiday against modern commercial characters.

Days Christkind is marked

Questions people ask about Christkind

See also

BusójárásA six-day winter carnival of carved wooden masks, folk music, and parades in MohácsAdvent wreathAn evergreen ring of candles lit week by week in the lead-up to ChristmasChristmasA festival of Jesus's birth, kept on 25 December with gifts, lights and shared mealsChristmas treeA decorated evergreen or artificial tree placed indoors to mark the Christmas season.

Good reading and sources

• BBC News - Austria campaign to save Christkind from Santa ClausBBC, Article
• BBC News - Austria campaign to save Christkind from Santa ClausBBC, Article

• Christkind on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.