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Christmas, or Weihnachten, is Germany’s favorite holiday, and it is also deeply cherished in the United States. What many Americans may not realize is how strongly German immigrants shaped the American Christmas tradition beginning in the 19th century. German influences can be seen in many beloved customs, including Christmas trees, Santa Claus traditions, mistletoe at holiday parties, gingerbread houses, nutcrackers, and Advent calendars. German culture also helped inspire popular Christmas music and celebrations, from Handel’s Messiah and “O Tannenbaum” to “Silent Night,” A Charlie Brown Christmas, and the Christmas markets now found throughout the United States.
Join us for a presentation that provides an opportunity to learn or share what you know or want to know about the German origins of many of America’s most cherished Christmas traditions.
About the Speaker: Mike Haas has been teaching German and German-American history at the DANK Haus German-American Cultural Center in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Chicago (4740 N Western Av) for the past 12 years. He holds an M.A. in History from DePaul University and a BA degree in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While detailed to the Chicago Police Training Academy, Mike, now retired, served as the editor of the Chicago Police Star Magazine, where he wrote articles and edited training bulletins. A former president of the German American Police Association in Chicago, he also worked on Chicago's German "Nord Seite"--Lincoln Park, Lakeview, and Lakeview--for over 20 years.
This program is brought to you in partnership with the Schaumburg Township Historical Society (STHS). Refreshments are provided, and STHS will hold a drawing for ornaments, with the winners announced at the conclusion of the program.
TAGS: | Education & Learning | Culture |
The Schaumburg Township District Library serves in excess of 134,000 residents in portions of the municipalities Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg and Streamwood. With over 1 million visitors each year, the library circulates over 2,000,000 items annually and is the second largest public library in the state of Illinois.
