Germany's right-wing populists said they sought to celebrate the contributions of white men, who faced "rampant discrimination" in society. The calendar was promoted with the hashtag "yes to white men" on Twitter.
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The AfD of the Berlin parliament drew criticism for a new Christmas campaign honoring notable white men every day in the month of December, in the tradition of the Advent calendar. The far-right populists announced their controversial move with a message on Twitter, using the hashtag "yes to white men" (#JaZuWeißenMännern).
"At the most beautiful time of the year, every day we introduce you to a person who has significantly influenced our Western civilization. 'White men' have become an insult to some in recent years. Not to us."
The calendar features famous German men such as playwright and poet Berthold Brecht and Martin Luther, a key figure in the Protestant reformation. But it also featured international figures such as US President Ronald Reagan and the late Pope John Paul II.
In the short YouTube video, a member of the AfD at the Berlin House of Representatives wishes the viewer a "white Christmas" and introduces the white man of the day, adding a short sentence describing his contribution.
Georg Pazderski, head of the AfD in Berlin's parliament, explained that the initiative was a reaction to discrimination targeting white men, which has been a result of "a gender campaign that has long gone off the rails."
Pasderski claimed that white men now face disadvantages in finding jobs and face public stigma, as a result of "rampant discrimination from the Greens and the Left."
All of the 22 AfD parliamentarians in Berlin's city-state legislature are white, two are female.
The move met stern criticism. Many people on Twitter used the AfD's own hashtag to promote infamous white men like disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, Nazi figures and the Ku Klux Klan, among others even including Harry Potter villain Voldemort.
"Harvey Weinstein, without him, the #metoo movement would never have taken off!" read a tweet from a parody account, posing as the AfD calendar.
Some anti-hate organizations began promoting snowmen as the white man of the day.
Others on Twitter pointed to the irony that on day 7, the featured white man was the late Apple grandee Steve Jobs, whose biological father was a Syrian immigrant to the US. The AfD has become increasingly focused on an anti-immigration message and negative reaction to the refugees, many of them Syrian, who arrived in Germany in 2015.
The AfD responded to the criticism over Steve Jobs, saying they were certain he would be discriminated in present-day California for being a white man.
But the organization also turned the accusation of racism on its critics. The right-wing populists argued that with the calendar, the goal was to "start the conversation in Germany about the disparagement of white men" and that if their opponents were resorting to "racial stereotypes" to criticize the inclusion of Steve Jobs in the calendar, then their job was done.
The Advent calendar's sweet history
Twenty-four doors, 24 surprises - Advent calenders sweeten the wait for Christmas. Tracing its origins back a century, this German tradition has found its way into the hearts of children and adults around the world.
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Counting down to Christmas
With the opening of each little door, Christmas Eve creeps closer. Advent calendars aren't just popular for children in Germany, but also adults. Whether purchased or handmade, filled with chocolate or toys, they've got a big fan following. The story of this German tradition traces its roots back to early 20th-century Protestantism.
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Back to the roots
Until the 16th century, children received their holiday presents on St. Nicholas' Day, December 6. Reformist Martin Luther, however, rejected the veneration of saints and changed the tradition. Since then, gift exchanges occur on Christmas. To shorten the longer waiting time for children, Protestants developed several customs, including the Advent calendar.
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One straw per day
Poor families often just marked 24 chalk lines on the door, and the children would erase one each day. Others put straws in a manger. Variations included candles with 24 tick marks or paper chains, from which one link was torn off each day. In some more wealthy homes, the children got gingerbread. Even Catholics enjoyed the advent calendar, and the tradition spread across Germany.
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First time in print
In 1902, a Protestant book store in Hamburg printed the first Advent calendar - in the form of a clock. Two years later the newspaper Stuttgarter Neuen Tagblatt included a "Christmas calendar" in one of its editions. In 1908, the Munich publishing house Gerhard Lang sold colorful photos to cut out and paste onto 24 slots on cardboard.
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A surprise behind every door
The first Advent calendars with little doors made their debut on the market in 1920. Behind every door was a picture or Bible verse. During Nazi rule, fairytale figures or Germanic gods replaced the Christian symbols in order to separate Christmas from its religious background.
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Mass production
From the 1950s onward, the Advent calendar became affordable as a mass-produced product. Behind the doors, little photos with snow-covered villages and landscapes or religious motifs could be found. Some calendars contained chocolates or other sweets. The calendar pictured here is from 1965.
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Purchased or homemade
Most of today's store-bought Advent calendars contain chocolates in various holiday shapes. Even little toys or other tiny treasures could be hiding behind the door. For those who choose to make their own Advent calendar for loved ones, anything goes. For example, 24 little wrapped packets representing each day could be tied onto a string or put into a box.
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Advent calendars around the world
Christmas is no longer just a Christian holiday, but also a festival of consumerism. There are now Advent calendars around the world featuring jewelry, beer, cosmetics and other goods. In some cases, the motifs are universal: Instead of the Christ child, there are chocolate figurines in the shape of bears and even Bambi.
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Opening a window
Meanwhile, some cities feature house-sized Advent calendars, where a real window is opened every day. The world's largest free-standing Advent calendar is part of a house in Leipzig. Its area measures 857 square meters (9, 200 square feet). Up until Christmas Eve, one of the windows opens at 4:00 p.m. each day to reveal an illuminated holiday motif.
