Why do Germans iron wrapping paper at Christmas? At first glance, it was a seemingly ordinary, albeit outdated, photo session of a politician. A young Angela Merkel stands near an ironing board with a radiant smile on her face.
But those who looked closely noticed that on the ironing board of the former Chancellor of Germany lay not trousers and shirts, but exquisite vintage wrapping paper.
As you can imagine, this photo left many scratching their heads when it suddenly appeared on the X website, formerly known as Twitter, last week.
Why do Germans iron wrapping paper at Christmas
Many questions arose in people's minds. Is smoothing out wrinkles on wrapping paper really what Germans spend their time on? Why would anyone add extra duties to their list during Christmas? Have we been supposed to iron gift wrapping all this time?
Economist magazine journalist Stanley Pignal, writing on the X website, summed up what many were thinking, saying he finds this picture "quite confusing."
"Is this a ... thing in Germany? Is there much ironing of wrapping paper?"
Is this a.... thing in Germany? is their much ironing of wrapping paper? still find this quite confusing. pic.twitter.com/yYLB8BhjI0
— Stanley Pignal (@spignal) December 13, 2023
Several Germans - and people of German descent - came to the rescue, attempting to explain the concept of ironing gift wrapping.
It turned out that this practice does exist in Germany, but it is strongly associated with thrifty old times and a moral attitude towards waste avoidance.
In particular, Germans remember how their older relatives meticulously recycled wrapping paper.
Journalist Jan Petter from Spiegel, for example, shared that his Swabian grandmother used to do this - making sure that children unwrapped things carefully to preserve the precious paper.
This aligns well with the stereotype that Swabians are obsessed with tidiness and are very frugal with their money.
"That's right. My Swabian grandmother did this for decades. She also monitored how we unwrapped our Christmas presents to recycle as much as possible..."
As noted by one X user, the practice of ironing gift wrapping became prevalent around the same time when comedian Otto Walkes joked about the best way to recycle tea bags - a comparison that underscores how carefully waste was handled in that era.
According to X user Thomas Veling, Merkel's habit of ironing wrapping paper might be linked to her childhood in East Germany, where many products were in short supply, and her disciplined Protestant upbringing.
"Yes and no. Mrs. Merkel grew up in post-war East Germany, where there was an economic deficit. Additionally, Mrs. Merkel is the daughter of a Protestant priest. Protestant values, among other things, include order and frugality. So, this picture doesn't surprise me at all".
However, as climate advocate Thea Elich explained, the photo session was related to Merkel's work at the time the picture was taken.
"At that time, Merkel was the Federal Minister for the Environment", she wrote. "She wanted to show that slightly crumpled wrapping paper could be reused by simply ironing it."
These days, throwing away wrapping paper after a single use doesn't seem particularly decadent, so most young Germans are unlikely to start ironing gift wrapping anytime soon.
But after the old photo of Merkel surfaced online, some media outlets picked up on this idea, releasing special articles on the best ways to recycle wrapping paper - and yes, ironing is among the tips.
Considering that the philosophy of "reduce, reuse, recycle" is making a comeback, don't be surprised if a German in your life pulls out an ironing board to greet Christmas with a more environmentally conscious approach.
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This practice of ironing wrapping paper is indeed a tradition in some parts of Germany, as highlighted by journalist Jan Petter from Spiegel. His Swabian grandmother was known to meticulously smooth out wrinkles on the gift wrap to preserve it.
As noted by X user Thomas Veling, this habit could potentially be linked to Merkel's upbringing in post-war East Germany, where resources were scarce, and her disciplined Protestant upbringing that emphasized order and frugality.
- Despite some confusion, it has been revealed that ironing gift wrapping is indeed a tradition in some parts of Germany, often associated with thrift and a moral attitude towards waste avoidance.
- In fact, many Germans and people of German descent have shared stories of their own grandmothers meticulously ironing wrapping paper to preserve it, a practice that aligns with the stereotype of Swabians being frugal with their money.
