More than kitsch, commerce, and candles? Customs of the Advent and Christmas season

Description

Lecture with slides by Prof. Dr. Werner Mezger, University of Freiburg i. Br.. The period from Martinmas through Christmas to Epiphany is a time of particularly intense customs development. Many questions arise: What does St. Martin have to do with Christmas? What has become of the saint Nicholas, who has now transformed into the neutral Santa Claus in many places? How much do we still know about the history, theology, and true meaning of the Christmas festival? Where did the Advent wreath and the Christmas tree originate? Where does the expression "time between the years" come from? And why are people nowadays less moved by the biblical event of Christ's birth than by the question of whether there will be a white Christmas? This lecture explores these and many other aspects with rich visual material. It offers insights into customs from all over Europe, which are sometimes as mysterious as they are fascinating in their exoticism. The multitude of Nikolaus customs in the Alpine region alone knows almost no bounds. By comparing cultural forms from different regions, viewers are opened up to connections and ideas that were self-evident in earlier centuries but have now fallen into oblivion. But it is also about reflecting on the process of secularization of the Christmas season, accelerated not least by modern Christmas folklore, and its reasons. Werner Mezger, known for numerous publications, radio, and television programs, was Professor of Cultural Anthropology and European Ethnology at the University of Freiburg from 1996 to 2021 and until 2022 director of the Freiburg Institute for Cultural Analysis of Germans from Eastern Europe (IVDE). An event in cooperation with the Bund Heimat- und Volksleben e. V.

Highlights

• Lecture by Prof. Dr. Werner Mezger
• Slides on European customs
• Topics: St. Martin, Nikolaus, and Christmas folklore

General Information

The lecture sheds light on the customs of the Advent and Christmas season and their historical backgrounds. Prof. Dr. Werner Mezger from the University of Freiburg i. Br. guides through various traditions and their significance in Europe.

Location

Hauptstraße 12, 77704 Oberkirch, Germany

Hide Map

Loading map...

How to get there

Get Directions