Posted on 12/03/2017 6:58:30 AM PST by SandRat
The Sunday after Thanksgiving often coincides with what Catholics know as the First Sunday in Advent. This year things are different because Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday and will double as the Fourth Sunday in Advent. Going back to its religious roots, Advent is a time of waiting for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus Christ, and for most Germans that first Sunday is the official “kick off” to the holiday season.
It is common for families to have a beautifully decorated tabletop wreath with four candles in their homes, and one additional candle being lit every Sunday until there are four burning flames. It is during that time that people put up their decorations and start baking, but, unlike many Americans, Germans usually don’t put up the tree until much closer to Christmas Eve. As a matter of fact, many people don’t put it up until December 24th. However, it is also common to leave it up much longer than many people here do. In my family, we would keep the tree up until January 6, Epiphany, but I know people that keep it well through January and into February.
I’ve had to adjust my preferences and have grown used to having our tree up usually in the first week of December, simply because I learned that trying to find a beautiful-looking, fresh Nordman fir the week before Christmas is close to impossible. And no, there is no alternative to a fresh, real tree for this old-fashioned gal! The scent of that beautiful tree in the house just screams “holidays!” and I wouldn’t want to do without it.
Another beloved Advent tradition that most Germans are familiar with is the “Advent Calendar.” Starting Dec. 1 through the 24th, children get to open a numbered “door” every day for a small surprise; sort of like a warm-up for “the big day.” There’s simple cardboard versions available at grocery stores with 24 small pieces of cheap chocolate behind 24 doors on a winter-inspired picture. And then there’s the more sophisticated versions that leave parents with 24 containers to fill themselves with items of their choosing. Our daughter has a wooden box-type of thing with 24 drawers that I put small gifts and treats in, and our son inherited my old calendar: 24 small felt stockings that you tie onto a larger felt background hanging on the wall.
So as you read this on Sunday morning, the First Sunday in Advent, we will be getting our tree, and without a doubt I’ll spend the rest of the day decorating it with the support of my two little helpers. For me this is a time for reflecting and reminding ourselves of what really matters in life. It’s a time to appreciate the life we’ve been given and to spend as much time as possible with the people we love. And let’s not forget the ridiculous amounts of German Christmas cookies my mother, who flew in a few days ago, will be baking over the next few weeks. Yum!
Kaffeeklatsch is written by Kat Hanson, a native of Germany and military spouse of ten years. She moved to Sierra Vista with her active-duty Army husband and two children in 2014. She previously lived in Monterey, California, Fort Stewart, Georgia, and her native Germany. Kat is a marketing consultant in the Advertising Department at the Herald/Review. For questions and comments, email katja.hanson@myheraldreview.com or call 520-515 4633.
Wreaking havoc? What does that even mean? Do our carriers wreak havoc in the Pacific by just being there?
Or is it more like giving Obama a Nobel prize for doing nothing?
LOL - keeper
This is my favorite thread of the day. I hope it survives. With title intact.
Ooooohhhhhh.........a coded message.
Take every seventh word and you’ll see the real message.
bttp
Came for the Russian rocket ships, stayed for the tree reviews.
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