The German Legend of the Christkindl
Christkindlmeans literally 'Christ child' in German. The origin of the Christkindl legend is attributed to Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer. Until the Reformation, the Catholic Saint Nicholas was associated with gift-giving at Christmas. Gifts were distributed on his feast day, December 6, rather than 25.
Luther wished to shift this focus away from the worship of saints, and so he introduced the concept of Christkindle. The Christkindl is a golden-haired child with the appearance of an angel, who brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve - Weihnachten, or Holy Night in Germany. Originally, the character was of indeterminate sex, but over the centuries, it has taken on a feminine, benevolent appearance.
Although an obviously holy figure, Christkindl is not a representation of Jesus, the original Christ Child. Her purpose was to underline the importance of the gifts that were brought to Jesus by the Magi, and steer the focus of Christmas away from the Catholic Saint Nicholas.
Christkindl is oftendepicted riding a mule, and is said to enter the houses through the keyhole, although this appears to be something that was created later, rather than a part of Luther's Christkindl. In Bavaria, the Christkindl is said to fly in through the window. The figure is almost always represented as an angel.
As with the custom of writing to Santa Claus, German children write letters to the Christkindl, decorating them with sugar and glue so they sparkle and catch the eye. Everything about Christkindl is child-like and benevolent, and there is a clear parallel with Jesus, although this character is obviously older. The reason for this is probably that, even in the Reformation, when Catholic values were being repudiated by large sections of Europe, it would have been viewed as heretical to create a character who was easily identifiable as Jesus.
As time passed, Christkindl was associated with Weihnachtsmann, or Santa Claus, as Saint Nicholas became known. She was one of the 'helpers' who distributed gifts. These days, the Christkindl is most frequently seen at the opening of the Christkindlmarkts - Christmas markets that begin at the start of Advent and run through December. Each town chooses a local girl for the role, and she performs many charitable functions, visiting children in hospitals and orphanages and distributing gifts.
The Christkindl is still an important part of the German Christmas tradition. Although originally created as a Protestant, secular alternative to the Catholic Saint Nicholas, she features in many areas of Germany - both Catholic and Protestant.
