Dreikönigsfest: Ultimate German Holiday Phrases For Epiphany
Do you think you know everything about German holidays? Well, there’s at least one special holiday that captures the heart of every German: Dreikönigsfest.
In this blog post, you’ll learn every valuable thing there is to know about this holiday in German. One of the most cherished winter traditions is here to help you unwind and relax.
Explore German traditions and important vocabulary for this German holiday.
1. What is Dreikönigstag and Dreikönigsfest?
Effortless Answers
Dreikönigstag (Three Kings‘ Day) or Dreikönigsfest (Three Kings’ Festival) is celebrated on January 6th in Germany and other German-speaking countries. It marks the end of the Christmas season and commemorates the visit of the Three Wise Men to baby Jesus.
This day is also known as Epiphany in many cultures.
In Germany, the celebration often begins on the evening of January 5th, known as Dreikönigsnacht (Three Kings’ Night).
Families come together to share stories, sing carols, and prepare for the next day’s festivities.
Let’s explore a real German conversation to see how all of this works in a real-life situation:
Maria: Weißt du, dass heute Dreikönigstag ist? (Do you know that today is Three Kings’ Day?)
Thomas: Ja, ich liebe diese Tradition! Wir feiern immer mit der ganzen Familie. (Yes, I love this tradition! We always celebrate with the whole family.)
Maria: Toll! Wie feiert ihr denn? (Great! How do you celebrate?)
Thomas: Wir gehen zur Kirche und danach gibt es ein großes Festessen. (We go to church and then have a big feast.)
2. Dreikönigsfest traditions
In some German states, like Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, Dreikönigstag is a public holiday.
Many people attend special church services to celebrate the occasion. These services often offer blessings and the lighting of frankincense (a hardened gum-like material (resin)).
One of the most popular traditions is the Sternsinger (star singers). Children dress up as the Three Wise Men and go from house to house, singing carols and collecting donations for charity. They carry a star on a stick, symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Wise Men.
Another unique custom is the chalk blessing.
People write 20C+M+B+24* above their doors using chalk. The numbers represent the year, and C+M+B stands for “Christus mansionem benedicat” (May Christ bless this house) or the initials of the three kings: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.
This blessing is believed to protect the house and its inhabitants for the coming year.
3. Dreikönigsfest cuisine in German
No German festival is complete without special food!
The star of Dreikönigsfest is the Dreikönigskuchen (Three Kings’ Cake).
This sweet bread is usually shaped like a ring or a star and often contains a hidden trinket or coin. The person who finds it becomes the “king” for the day and gets to wear a paper crown!
To make a Dreikönigskuchen, you’ll need:
- Mehl (flour)
- Hefe (yeast)
- Milch (milk)
- Butter (butter)
- Zucker (sugar)
- Eier (eggs)
- Rosinen (raisings)
- Zitronenschale (lemon zest)
The dough is usually flavored with cardamom and sometimes filled with marzipan.
After baking, it’s decorated with colorful sugar or candied fruit to illustrate jewels on the kings’ crowns.
4. Useful Dreikönigsfest vocabulary
Now you know about the German traditions related to Three Kings Day (Dreikönigsfest). But it’s also important to know the correct and most common German phrases related to this amazing holiday.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Die Heiligen Drei Könige | The Three Wise Men |
| Der Stern | The star |
| Die Krippe | The nativity scene |
| Der Weihrauch | Frankincense |
| Die Myrrhe | Myrrh |
| Das Gold | Gold |
| Der Segen | The blessing |
| Die Spende | The donation |
| Das Dreikönigssingen | Three Kings’ singing |
| Der Umzug | The procession |
| Wir folgen dem Stern von Bethlehem. | We follow the Star of Bethlehem. |
| Die Sternsinger sammeln Spenden für wohltätige Zwecke. | The star singers collect donations for charitable causes. |
| In der Krippe liegt das Jesuskind. | The baby Jesus lies in the manger. |
| Der Priester segnet das Haus mit Weihrauch. | The priest blesses the house with frankincense. |
| Die Kinder verkleiden sich als die Heiligen Drei Könige. | The children dress up as the Three Wise Men. |
5. Learn German naturally with Conversation Based Chunking
Learning German vocabulary for Dreikönigsfest becomes easy with Conversation Based Chunking.
You learn whole phrases and expressions as they’re used in real German conversations. This method helps you understand the natural flow of the language.
For example, instead of just learning “Stern” (star), you might learn the phrase “Wir folgen dem Stern” (We follow the star). This way, you’re not just learning vocabulary, but also how to use it in sentences and conversations.
Here are more examples:
- “Die Sternsinger kommen!” (The star singers are coming!)
- “Hast du schon den Dreikönigskuchen probiert?” (Have you tried the Three Kings’ Cake yet?)
- “Lass uns den Segen an die Tür schreiben.” (Let’s write the blessing on the door.)
By learning these chunks of language, you’ll be able to talk about Dreikönigsfest more naturally and confidently. You’ll also pick up grammar structures without explicitly studying rules, as you’ll start to notice patterns in how sentences are formed.
So, request your first German Conversation Based Chunking Guide now, and you’ll get free content to get you started on your German language learning journey.
