Alabama NewsCenter — Cullman, Alabama, celebrates Christmas German-style

By Tara Massouleh McCay
SoulGrown

They say there’s no place like home for the holidays, but few places in the world know how to celebrate the season quite like Germany. Alabamians can get the best of both worlds – with traditions near and far – during Christmas in Cullman. The monthlong celebration pays homage to the town’s German heritage with a series of events to help locals and visitors alike get in the Christmas spirit.

Cullman was founded by German refugee Johan Gottfried Cullmann from Frankweiler (then Bavaria) in 1877. Cullmann initially lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, but soon began thinking about creating a colony where immigrants could work and live together. He bought passage on a boat to Florence, Alabama, and met with the governor to present the idea. From there, he was given men and horses for his expedition through north Alabama. A few years and a few thousand colonists later, Cullman was born.

For the past few decades, Cullman has been celebrating in style with a full schedule of events known as Christmas in Cullman. The annual lighting of the Christmas Pyramid takes place the day after Thanksgiving. Known in Germany as the Weihnachtspyramide, this traditional German decoration is a multilevel pyramid in which each segment represents seasonal elements through wooden figures and scenes. The top is crowned with a large fan.

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