Weihnachten customs held upon returning from church leading to the gift giving vary across the German-speaking countries. One of the most common situations sees the returning children wait to enter into their (locked) living room until a little bell rings. This bell marks the departure of the one delivering gifts. In the more Catholic regions - primarily South Germany and Switzerland - this is considered the Christ Child ("Christkind"), while those in North Germany commonly consider it to be the "Weihnachtsmann" (Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus) who is exiting. The children then enter to see the decorated Weihnachtsbaum (Christmas tree), with
A Christmas Calendar A Christmas Calendar A Christmas Calendar is a 1987 American Christmas television special hosted and narrated by Loretta Swit. The program was co-produced for PBS by Deutsche Welle and Oregon Public Broadcasting and premiered December 18, 1987 on PBS. Loretta Swit travels to Germany to discover the holiday traditions in the European country. Swit journeys through various regions of Germany including spending some of the holiday with a German family. She discovers the origins of St Nicholas, the Christmas traditions such as the Christkindlmarkt as well as show the viewers the winter scenery of the country. The program includes seasonal