Adopting New Traditions

This December, we have learned some new German Christmas traditions.  Since we're living here, we thought it would be fun to adopt a few to add to our American celebrations.  So, with some coaching from German ward members and friends, here is what we've learned:

St. Nicholas Day - official German version:

On December 5th, German children clean and polish their shoes, then place them outside their bedroom door for St. Nicholas to fill.  He comes during the night - much like Santa - and fills the shoes with goodies.  On the morning of December 6th, the children awake to find all the goodies and celebrate St. Nicholas Day.

St. Nicholas Day - sorry Bitner version:

We forgot to put our shoes out on December 5th, which was a Saturday night.  We were all sick the next day, so we stayed home from church and lounged around in our jammies.  That night, Mom remembered that it was supposed to be St. Nicholas Day, so she reminded the kids to put their shoes out.  Our kids wear sneakers, so there was no real cleaning or polishing.  Only two of the four kids actually remembered to lay out their shoes, so Mom rounded up the remaining shoes and lined them all up by the front door after the kids were in bed.

The next morning, in the rush to get off to school, the shoes were emptied of their goodies (aka - goodies were dumped all over the coat room floor so the kids could wear the shoes to school).  The kids went to school, where their teachers did a much better job at celebrating a belated St. Nicholas Day, and then the kids came home and ate all the candy in one sitting.  Mom was just glad St. Nicholas Day fell on a Sunday, and that we had been sick, so the kids never knew that he was a day late coming to our house.

Here is Lukie discovering that St. Nicholas had come to his classroom at school and filled all their house shoes with treats.

Advent Calendars - official German version:

Advent calendars are fun way to count down the days of December until Christmas.  Usually each child has their own calendar that contains a treat for each day until December 25th. 

Advent Calendars - sorry Bitner version:

Mom sees the advent calendars at various stores for a couple of weeks before December, but pretty much ignores them.  Then, in a conversation with a friend at Thanksgiving, it becomes clear that advent calendars are a big deal here in Germany, and every child should have one.  This friend had spent a good deal of time shopping around to make sure each of her children had a different calendar, and that the treats were to the liking of each individual child.  Mom feels Lame.

On December 1, Mom goes to the grocery store and luckily finds a few straggly advent calendars still for sale.  She buys four of them (all exactly the same), writes children's names on them with a Sharpie, and presents them to the delighted children at dinner.  They each find the appropriate chocolate piece and enjoy.

The next morning, in her rounds to tidy the house, Mom finds Jessica's advent calendar ripped to shreds and missing most of the chocolate pieces.  She also notices the chocolate ring around Luke's mouth.  After putting two and two together, Mom produces Sharpie and renames the advent calendars so now the torn-up/mostly eaten calendar belongs to Luke.  Advent calendars are now given a special "place" that is high enough to be out of Luke's reach.

Advent Wreath - official German version:

A wreath is purchased with four large candles to celebrate the four Sundays before Christmas.  Beginning on the last Sunday in November, families and friends gather for a nice meal and light one candle on the wreath.  This is repeated each Sunday, with one more candle being lit each week.  On the last Sunday before Christmas, all the candles are lit and there is much rejoicing.

Advent Wreath - sorry Bitner version:

Mom doesn't find out about this tradition until speaking with an institute student after church on November 29.  Since nothing is open on Sunday here - and we don't shop on Sunday anyway - she makes a mental note to buy an Advent Wreath that next week.  Then, she forgets all about it.  Midway thru the second week in December, Mom passes a small market that is selling Advent wreaths and purchases one, feeling very German.  She brings it home and proudly sets it on the kitchen table.

On Sunday, December 13, the wreath is removed from the kitchen table to make way for Sunday dinner.  Dinner is eaten, and dishes are done.  Mom suddenly remembers the wreath, and returns it to the table, thinking it will just as fun to light the candles and enjoy it while we eat cake.  After a failed search for matches, Dad finds an old lighter in the camping stuff, and two candles are lit on the Advent Wreath.  Family is called to come eat cake in the candle-light, and half of them arrive (some are not hungry for cake).  After cake, Mom realizes that three candles should be lit on the wreath, as there is only one more Sunday before Christmas.  Another candle is lit and the children are rounded up to take a picture around the Advent Wreath.

As you can see, we are learning.  A bit slow perhaps, but we are trying...

Merry Christmas to all, from the land of St. Nicholas, Advent Calendars, and Advent Wreaths.  We love you and wish we could be closer to celebrate the season with you.  But for now, we feel blessed to have each other as we prepare to celebrate Christ's birth with traditions both old and new.

So, Merry Christmas and  Frohliche Weihnachten!