German word of the day: Die Weihnachtsbäckerei
Around Christmas each year, a song goes around in Germany. A song that sneaks inside your head and then sticks around for weeks on end.
Die Weihnachtsbäckerei is a “Christmas bakery” and describes the act of baking Plätzchen (cookies) in the days before Christmas. Considering that many people (especially small kids) know the song, it might be surprising to hear that it is not a very old one.
The famous children’s songs author Rolf Zuckowsky wrote it on his way home in 1986. In 1987 it first appeared on one of his albums, he introduced it on a German TV show and it quickly became a new folk song.
Until today, during the holiday season it starts appearing on minor rankings of the German charts each year.
Nowadays you can’t enter a kindergarten during the holiday season without hearing it from every corner. So here’s the chorus of the song, for singing along next time you hear it (but be careful, there are many people out there who can’t stand the sing anymore):
In der Weihnachtsbäckerei
Gibt es manche Leckerei
Zwischen Mehl und Milch
Macht so mancher Knilch
Eine riesengroße Kleckerei
In der Weihnachtsbäckerei
In der Weihnachtsbäckerei
In the Christmas bakery
Are many yummy things
From flour to milk
Make one false move
And a great mess there will be
In the Christmas bakery
In the Christmas bakery
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