Copyright © 1998 Charles Hofmann & Karin nee Hofmann Ruark
Christmas traditions prepared by my cousin Karin nee Hofmann Ruark,
born in Bernhardsweiler, Württemberg
Advent: A time beginning four Sundays before Christmas to handcraft gifts, bake (for the many guests that would visit during the Christmas Holidays), sing, and sit around with the light of the Adventkranz (Christmas wreath). The Adventkranz was self-made of "Tannenzwiege", pine or spruce branches, with 4 red candles that were lit the afternoon of each Advent Sunday. Sometimes this was hanging from the ceiling and other times in the center of the table.
Advent Kalender: Karin sent one for us to use this season. The Advent Kalender is like the one she sent, and is used to give the feeling of only 24 days waiting for the 24th when we have the big celebration. It has little doors in random display so the children had to search for the next number starting with 1 on the 1st of December. You only have one door a day and you find something behind each one to sweeten the waiting period. She said they normally only had one for all 4 of the children (2 girls and 2 boys), so the uneven numbers were for girls for example. One being an uneven number was of course 1st as well, so now we see how it works.
Nikolaus: (December 6th) In our kids time (after
WWII) in Bernhardsweiler and in Mom’s time (between the 2 big wars), we didn’t
celebrate Nikalaus Tag. Later in
About 19:00 (7 p.m.) we would all go to church, where ususally there was a "Knippenspeil". This was done mostly by the children but some adults played parts as well. The parts for the christmas story included shepards, the 3 kings, sheep, stars, angels, Josef, Mary, Jesus (as a doll, hardly to be seen in a cradle "Knippe" (old fashioned). There were a lot of Christmas songs sung during the performance. Usually one narrator (most often the Pfarrer) would read the Lukas – Evangelium (The Christmas Story recorded in the Gospel of Luke) between the scenes.
Christmas Tag: After the performances at the church on "Weihnachtsabend" (Christmas Eve), everybody went home and the children had to go to bed !!!! We never slept though as we were filled with so much excitement. During that time (!!!), the christmas tree was brought in (by the parents), decorated, lit and the gifts displayed beneath it. Then the Christmas bell was rung and the kids were allowed to come out of their dark room into the "Good Room" where the only light was coming from the tree! (WOW !!). More songs were sung and then the presents could be opened. Usually there was only coffee or milk and cake to eat. The "big meals" were on the 25th and 26th, after you went to church each day. For us that meal was "Sauerbraten" (meat that had been flavored for some days in yogurt, sour milk and spices (my favorite) or rabbit, or goose. Some people had "Krapfen", a fish, but we never (had this fish).
In my mothers youth (Karin’s mother), the 24th through 26th was strictly for the close family. The kids would have special toys like the doll house, puppet carriages, special "nice" puppets, etc. that were only brought out on Christmas days and they could play with them till the 6th of January, when the tree was discarded. This is very simular to the electric train I recall we had going around our Christmas tree when we were very young children in the 1940s here in America. It was only used during the Christmas season and then saved till the next year. Back to Karin – Only when they were "very good", they could play a little longer. The extended family would visit between the 27th and the 5th of January only.
Later in
Copyright © 1998 Charles Hofmann & Karin nee Hofmann Ruark
Email ckhofmann@msn.com
Homepage address http://www.msnusers.com/TheHofmannFamily/files/The Hofmann Family/index.html