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CHRIST

German Advent word of the day: Süßer die Glocken nie klingen

Only a few days until Christmas! The angelic melody and beautiful lyrics of this song will immediately tune you into the feeling of Christmas Day, as if it were here already.

Published: 18 December 2019 12:44 CET
Updated: 21 December 2019 18:27 CET
German Advent word of the day: Süßer die Glocken nie klingen
Photo: DPA

What does it mean?

The song “Süßer die Glocken nie klingen” translates to sweeter the bells never ring or the bells never sound sweeter, and is about the lovely sound of the bells that ring during Christmas time, and the effect that they have on everyone.

Here's the lyrics and a video:

“Süßer die Glocken nie klingen

Als zu der Weihnachtszeit

grad, als ob Engelein singen

Wieder von Friede und Freud'

Wie sie gesungen in heiliger Nacht

Wie sie gesungen in heiliger Nacht

Glocken, mit heiligem Klang

Klinget die Erde entlang

Und wenn die Glocken dann klingen

Gleich sie das Christkindlein hört

Tut sich vom Himmel dann schwingen

Eilet hernieder zur Erd'

Segnet den Vater, die Mutter, das Kind

Segnet den Vater, die Mutter, das Kind

Glocken mit heiligem Klang

Klinget die Erde entlang

 

Klinget mit lieblichem Klange

Über die Meere noch weit

Dass sich erfreuen doch alle

Seliger Weihnachtszeit

Alle dann jauchzen mit frohem Gesang

Alle dann jauchzen mit frohem Gesang

Glocken mit heiligem Klang

Klinget die Erde entlang”

The first verse depicts the sound of the bells and that the they never sound more beautiful than during the Christmas time: Their angelic ring of peace and bliss, and the holy sound that is sung and should be sung on the holy night.

The last two lines of each verse “Glocken mit heiligem Klange klinget die Erde entlang” means that the holy sound of the bells should travel throughout the world. It is basically a demand that they should ring.

The second verse describes that when the bells ring the Christ Child immediately hears them and descends to earth, to bless father, mother, and child.

The final verse portrays that everyone delights from the lovely ring of the bells that sounds far over the oceans, and that they cheer with happy singing during this  blessed Christmas time.

What is the history behind this song?

The Protestant theologian and pedagogue Friedrich Wilhelm Kritzinger (1816-1890) wrote this song in 1826 to the melody of an old Thuringian folk song.

As people were familiar to the melody of this song, “Süßer die glocken nie klingen” soon became popular.

By the end of the 19th century it could be found in various songbooks.

Germans sing this song yearly, but many have questioned the meaning of its lyrics.

The bells are described as “süß” (sweet) which usually refers to taste, but in the Middle Ages it also meant holy.

Which explains the usage of “süß” as holy bells are better fitting for Christmas and especially the Christian meaning behind Christmas than sweet bells.

Overall, the bells operate as messengers, as their ring travels widely through the air carrying their sound- the message.

They represent the spreading of the Christmas Spirit, and symbolize the joyful anticipation for Christmas and the holiness of Christmas itself.

So listen to the song and join in the Christmas Spirit.

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For members

GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Sitzpinkler

Do you sit down when you pee? If so, this funny German term applies to you. But don’t worry, in this country, you’re not alone.

Published: 8 May 2024 11:41 CEST
German word of the day: Sitzpinkler

Der Sitzpinkler, pronounced like this, is a practical and hilarious German compound word that combines sitzen ‘to sit’ and Pinkler ‘pisser’ (from pinkeln ‘to pee’).

The term is typically reserved for men, and male-bodied people, who choose to take a seat when they urinate.

See also Sitzpisser.

Why do I need to know ‘Sitzpinkler’?

This one is perhaps most likely to come up at the pub among men who’ve let the conversation drift toward life’s more grotesque and banal questions: how do you position yourself when you pee?

But Sitzpinkler is also an insult in German. If you mean to call someone a wuss, or imply that they are effeminate and pampered in a derogatory way (with the added sting of a grade-school insult), then you can call them a Sitzpinkler.

By the way, while you’re at it, you may as well call them a Warmduscher (a warm showerer) and a Schattenparker (a shade parker) as well.

Who pees sitting down?

Despite its use as an insult, sitting down to urinate happens to be a very common habit among German men – and there is sufficient data to back this up.

sit down while peeing sign in Germany

“Standing up – wrong. Sitting down – right.” A sign urges guests to sit down to pee in a cafe restroom in Berlin. Photo by Paul Krantz

British data analytics firm YouGov, “conducted a 13-country study on men’s peeing preferences internationally” which confirmed that German men are by far the most likely to be Sitzpinklers.

According to the YouGov poll, 62 percent of German men sit down to pee ‘most times’, with 40 percent saying they sit down to pee ‘every time’. Only 10 percent of German men say they ‘never’ do.

In comparison, men in the US or the UK are largely opposed to the idea, with more than 30 percent of men in each country saying they never sit down, and only about 10 percent sitting each time.

Incidentally, perhaps the wildest finding of the above poll is that four to six percent of men in each country ‘don’t know’ if they sit or stand when they pee. Perhaps this partially explains the state of public restrooms.

A brief defence of thrown sitters

Coming from the US myself, I can confirm that the idea to make a practice of sitting for a pee at home never really occurred to me until I came to Germany. 

I had moved into a shared flat, and on the topic of house cleaning duties, a German suggested that if we all sat down on the toilet, it would generally stay cleaner. I didn’t resist – I’ll try anything once – and now I’ve joined team Sitpinkler.

I’ve admitted as much to friends from the US and received raised eyebrows, but logically I just can’t condone misting my bathroom floor with urine when I know how easily avoidable it is.

Additionally, there is some research that seating peeing may actually be better for men with prostate and bladder health issues.

But to each their own, I guess. 

By the way, stand-up guys need not worry too much. While Germany may be a nation of seated tinklers, the country’s courts have previously ruled in defence of the right to stand up and pee in your own home.

 

Use it like this:

Bist du ein Sitzpinkler?

Are you a sit-down pisser?

Du hast Angst!? Sei nicht so ein Sitzpinkler.

You’re scared!? Don’t be such a wimp.

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