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{{Short description|Christmas gift-bringer}}
{{expand Czech|date=February 2024}}
[[File:Christkind.jpg|thumb|Christkind
The {{langnf|de|'''Christkind'''
==History==
Promulgated by [[Martin Luther]] at the [[Protestant Reformation]] in 16th–17th-century Europe, many Protestants adopted this gift bringer, the Christ Child or ''Christkindl'', and the date of giving gifts changed from [[Saint Nicholas Day|December 6]] to [[Christmas Eve]].<ref>Forbes, Bruce David, ''Christmas: a candid history'', University of California Press, 2007, {{ISBN|0-520-25104-0}}, pp. 68-79.</ref> As such, the "[[Lutheran Church]] promoted Christ as the children's gift-giver, hoping to draw attention to the child for whom Christmas was named."<ref name="Siefker1997">{{cite book|last=Siefker|first=Phyllis|title=Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas, Spanning 50,000 Years|date=1 January 1997|publisher=McFarland|language=English|isbn=9780786402465|page=158|quote=Beginning in the sixteenth century, the Lutheran Church promoted Christ as the children's gift-giver, hoping to draw attention to the child for whom Christmas was named.}}</ref> The Christkind was adopted in [[Catholic]] areas of Germany during the 19th century.<ref name="Perry2010">{{cite book|last=Perry|first=Joe|title=Christmas in Germany: A Cultural History|date=27 September 2010|publisher=Univ of North Carolina Press|language=English|isbn=9780807899410|page=36|quote=The Christkind, despite his Lutheran roots, was especially popular in Catholic households because of his lingering associations with Jesus.}}</ref> To this date, the Christkindl "remains the main gift bringer in many Catholic countries in Latin America."<ref name="McCullough2014">{{cite book|last=McCullough|first=Joseph|title=The Story of Santa Claus|date=20 September 2014|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|language=English|isbn=9781472803443|page=43|quote=Instead, the Christkind became popular in more Catholic countries, and remains the main gift bringer in many Catholic countries in Latin America.}}</ref>▼
▲Promulgated by [[Martin Luther]] at the [[Protestant Reformation]] in [[Early modern period|16th–17th-century Europe]], many [[Protestants]] adopted this gift bringer, the Christ Child or ''Christkindl'', and the date of giving gifts changed from [[Saint Nicholas Day|December 6]] to
The Christkind is a sprite-like child, usually depicted with
▲[[File:Thronendes Jesuskind BNM.jpg|thumb|right|''Christkind'' [[Munich]], Germany]]
Children never see the Christkind in person, and parents tell them that Christkind will not come and bring presents if they are curious and try to spot it. The family enters the living room, where the Christmas tree has been put up, for the opening of presents (the ''Bescherung''), when the parents say that they think that the Christkind who has brought the presents has now left again. In some traditions, the departure is announced by the ringing of a small bell, which the parents pretend to have heard or which is secretly done by one of the adults in the family.▼
▲The Christkind is a sprite-like child, usually depicted with [[blond]] hair and [[angel]]ic wings.<ref>Clement A.Miles [https://books.google.com/books?id=1XRjAyL8LogC&pg=PA230&dq=Christkind+alsatian&hl=en&ei=F_BvTcW8Mcy7hAfdtI2qBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false Christmas customs and traditions, their history and significance] p. 230. Courier Dover Publications, 1976</ref> Martin Luther intended it to be a reference to the incarnation of [[Jesus]] as an infant (see [[Christ Child]]). Sometimes the Christ Child is, instead of the infant Jesus, interpreted as a specific angel bringing the presents, as it appears in some processions together with an image of little Jesus Christ. Later, the Christkind was said to make rounds delivering gifts with [[Saint Nicholas#Saint Nicholas the festive gift-giver|St. Nicholas]].<ref name="Forbes2008">{{cite book|last=Forbes|first=Bruce David|title=Christmas: A Candid History|date=1 October 2008|publisher=University of California Press|language=English|isbn=9780520258020|quote=...soon the Christ child was making the rounds with Saint Nicholas or a replacement figure.}}</ref>
Since the 1990s, the Christkind
▲Children never see the Christkind in person, and parents tell them that Christkind will not come and bring presents if they are curious and try to spot it. The family enters the living room, where the Christmas tree has been put up, for the opening of presents (the ''Bescherung'') when the parents say that they think that the Christkind who has brought the presents has now left again. In some traditions, the departure is announced by the ringing of a small bell, which the parents pretend to have heard or which is secretly done by one of the adults in the family.
Christkindl or Christkindel are [[diminutive]] versions of Christkind. Christkind and [[Belsnickel]] are also found among communities of [[Volga German]] descent in Argentina. A well-known figure is the Christkind at the [[Christkindlesmarkt]] in [[Nuremberg]], which is represented by a young woman chosen every
▲Since the 1990s, the Christkind is facing increasing competition from the [[Weihnachtsmann]] in the American version of [[Santa Claus]], caused by the use of Santa Claus as an advertising figure.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} Many traditionalist Catholics in recent times have advocated for the tradition of the Christkind as a "beautiful means of restoring the [[true meaning of Christmas]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.remnantnewspaper.com/Archives/archive-2005-1215-santa.htm|title=An Advent Reflection: Waiting for the Christ Child|last=Matt|first=Michael J.|publisher=[[The Remnant (newspaper)|The Remnant]]|language=English|accessdate=12 December 2016}}</ref>
▲Christkindl or Christkindel are [[diminutive]] versions of Christkind. Christkind and [[Belsnickel]] are also found among communities of [[Volga German]] descent in Argentina. A well-known figure is the Christkind at the [[Christkindlesmarkt]] in [[Nuremberg]], which is represented by a young woman chosen every year for this task.
Christkindl is also a part of the city of [[Steyr]] in Austria, named after the allegedly miraculous wax statue of Christkind in the town church.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081218171724/http://www.christkindl.at/en/34.php The history of Christkindl] Retrieved 2009-12-20</ref>
==Czech Ježíšek==
[[File:Child Jesus of Prague (original statue).jpg|thumb|The statue of the [[Infant Jesus of Prague]], given by Princess [[Polyxena of Lobkowicz]] to the [[Discalced Carmelites]] in 1628]]
'''Ježíšek''' (the [[Baby Jesus]]) is the [[Czech language|Czech-language]] name for the Christkind Christmas figure. There is no accurate description of Ježíšek. He has been depicted as a baby, toddler, and young lad. Some even consider him simply as an abstract figure.<ref>[http://www.prague.net/blog/article/52/czech-santa Prague.Net. "Czech Santa."]. Retrieved on August 21, 2013.</ref> According to tradition, Ježíšek makes his appearance on Christmas Eve. In some families, Ježíšek is said to bring the [[Christmas tree]] and the gifts, while the elders do it in secret. In other families, the Christmas tree is decorated collaboratively with the children.<ref name="chicagotribune1">[http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-12-24/news/9612240278_1_santa-claus-grandfather-frost-czech-republic Rocks, David. Chicago Tribune News. "Czech Kids Find Santa Claus A Bit Confusing."] Retrieved on August 21, 2013.</ref> [[Christmas gift]]s are delivered and unboxed on Christmas Eve (24 December).<ref>[http://prague.usembassy.gov/ststephen.html Embassy of the United States: Prague/Czech Republic.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203025533/http://prague.usembassy.gov/ststephen.html |date=2013-12-03 }} Retrieved on August 21, 2013.</ref>
The tradition of Ježíšek has been observed by the Czechs for more than 400 years.<ref name="praguepost1">[http://www.praguepost.com/tempo/6911-local-holiday-tradition-is-tested-by-global-forces.html Scott, Thomas. Prague Post. "Local Holiday Forces is Tested by Global Forces."] Retrieved on August 21, 2013.</ref> This is partly due to the large population of Catholics during that period. It was [[Martin Luther]] who coined the term during the 16th century, an attempt to provide a suitable name to their figure other than [[St. Nicholas]].
At present, belief in Ježíšek is upheld in modern Czech society, despite having the lowest rates of religious affiliation in the world.<ref name="praguepost1" />
== ''La Christine'' in Acadiana ==
''La Christine'' (also found in the forms ''La Christiane'' and ''La Crisquine''<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Dictionary of Louisiana French: As Spoken in Cajun, Creole, and American Indian Communities|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|year=2010|isbn=978-1-60473-403-4|location=Jackson|pages=135}}</ref>) is the [[Cajun French]] name for a folkloric figure who traditionally brought "fruits, homemade candies and small gifts" on New Year's Eve.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=C'est Vrai: More on Mother Christmas {{!}} EvangelineToday.com {{!}} Ville Platte Gazette, Mamou Acadian Press, Basile Weekly {{!}} Evangeline Parish, La.|url=https://archive.evangelinetoday.com/columns/c%E2%80%99est-vrai-more-mother-christmas|access-date=2020-12-08|website=archive.evangelinetoday.com}}</ref> The name represents a Gallicized form of "Christkind" and the tradition was most likely brought to the area by German-speaking settlers from Switzerland.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-09-14|title=German-Americans|url=https://cls.louisiana.edu/programming-special-projects/louisiana-101/peoples-places/german-americans|access-date=2020-12-08|website=Center for Louisiana Studies|language=en}}</ref> In some families, La Christine would make a visit a week after [[Père Noël|Papa Noël]] brought Christmas gifts and might even be described as "Santa Claus' wife",<ref name=":0" /> while in others "La Christine" was just another name for Santa Claus.<ref name=":1" />
==See also==
* [[Kris Kringle (disambiguation)|Kris Kringle]], an Americanized pronunciation and spelling of Christkindl
* [[Christkindl Markt]], a traditional holiday market in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Eastern France
* [[List of Christmas and winter gift-bringers by country]]
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==External links==
* {{cite news |first=Mark |last=Landler |date=12 December 2002 |title=Vienna Journal; For Austrians, Ho-Ho-Ho Is No Laughing Matter |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/12/world/vienna-journal-for-austrians-ho-ho-ho-is-no-laughing-matter.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |
* {{Cite news
| last = Cain
| first = Phil
| title = Austria campaign to save Christkind from Santa Claus
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| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8405501.stm
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* [http://praguemonitor.com/2012/12/14/je%C5%BE%C3%AD%C5%A1ek-or-santa-claus Ježíšek or Santa Claus? – Prague Monitor]
{{Christmas}}
{{German folklore}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Iconography of Jesus]]
[[Category:History of Lutheranism]]
[[Category:Statues of the infant Jesus]]
[[Category:Christmas gift-bringers]]
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