On 4 December many people cut cherry branches and put them in a vase: the Barbara branches. Behind the custom stands St Barbara, one of the best-known martyrs of the early Church.
Who was Barbara?
Almost nothing is firmly known about Barbara’s actual life. She is said to have lived in the 3rd or early 4th century in Nicomedia (in what is now north-western Turkey) and to have been executed as a Christian. The veneration of her, however, is very old and widespread.
Legend and tradition
The legend tells us that Barbara was the daughter of the wealthy Dioscorus. He shut her in a tower to keep her away from suitors and from the Christian faith. When Barbara had herself baptised all the same and confessed her faith to her father, he persecuted her. She fled, was betrayed and was finally beheaded by her own father. He was then struck by lightning.
Because lightning plays a part in the legend, Barbara is invoked during thunderstorms and in sudden danger. This is tradition, not historical fact.
Feast day
The feast day of St Barbara is 4 December, in the Catholic as well as the Protestant Church. Regional and denominational calendars may differ.
Patronage
- Miners and tunnel builders
- Firefighters and artillerymen
- Architects and roofers
- One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, invoked during thunderstorms and in danger of death
“Patron saint” means that people ask this saint to intercede for them with God. No guarantee or promise of miracles is attached to it.
Attributes and depiction
Barbara is usually shown with a tower, often with three windows as a sign of the Trinity. Other attributes are the martyr’s palm, a chalice with a host and sometimes a cannon, since artillerymen also venerate her as their patron saint.
A short prayer
St Barbara, in the darkness you held fast to the faith. Pray for us when fear and danger press in on us. Accompany all who work underground, and all who put themselves in danger for others. Amen.
A simple prayer in our own words, to pray along.
Customs
On St Barbara’s Day, people cut branches of cherry, apple or forsythia, put them in lukewarm water and hope they will bloom by Christmas. The blossoming branches are seen as a sign of new life in the middle of winter.
In mining and in fire brigades, St Barbara’s Day is marked with a service and a celebration. The miners’ Barbara celebration is a tradition in the Ruhr, the Saarland, the Ore Mountains and the Tyrol.
Matching items at LUNEXUS
- St Barbara – hand-carved wooden statue from South Tyrol
- St Florian keyring 9 cm – blessed & Made in Germany
- Olive wood bell pendant with nativity scene – handcrafted in Bethlehem, blessed
The St Florian keyring makes a fitting gift for firefighters who join in the celebrations on St Barbara’s Day. The olive wood bell is a lovely decoration for Advent, the season in which St Barbara’s Day falls.
The wooden statues from our woodcarving workshop are hand-carved in Val Gardena (South Tyrol) and come directly from the workshop: delivery time approx. 3–4 weeks, insured shipping to Germany and Austria only (€6.90). The statues are not blessed in our warehouse, and the 14-day statutory right of withdrawal applies to them.
Many, but not all, of our items are blessed in our own warehouse by a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Fulda. A business-card-sized certificate card showing the date of the blessing is then enclosed; whether an item is blessed is stated in its title or description. Shipped via Amazon's logistics network – free within Germany, €5.90 to Austria and France; Italy €6.90, Spain €6.90. Returns are possible within 30 days.
More to choose from: female saints as wooden statues and all patron saints. Parishes and groups will find an offer on request on the quantity discount page (does not apply to wooden statues from the woodcarving workshop).
Keep reading in the magazine: Advent: meaning, customs and Barbara branches
Frequently asked questions
When is St Barbara’s Day?
The feast day of St Barbara is 4 December.
What are Barbara branches?
These are branches, usually from cherry trees, cut on 4 December and kept indoors in the hope that they will bloom by Christmas. They recall the legend that, on her way to prison, a cherry twig caught in Barbara’s dress. She put it in water in her cell, and it blossomed on the day of her death.
Why is Barbara the patron saint of miners?
Anyone who works underground is constantly surrounded by sudden danger. Barbara is invoked against lightning, blasting and sudden death, and so became the patron saint of miners.
Sources: Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon (Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints), the Martyrologium Romanum and the regional calendar for the German-speaking area. We flag legends as such; prayers are, unless stated otherwise, our own simple wording. Compiled by Denis & Belinda, as of October 2026.
