The First Week of Advent

The First Day of Advent    

On Sunday I went to church with Alicia, Marion’s daughter, for the first Sunday of Advent. Afterwards we walked back to her house, and I helped her a bit with English before lending a hand in lunch preparations. Marion had already done most of the work, but I formed the dumplings and cut the threads off of the Roulade, a stuffed beef. All of the food was absolutely delicious, but I had to wait to eat my fruit until later since I was stuffed.

 

Roulade, dumplings, and red cabbage. Yum!

Alicia and I went on a walk to the bus stop so I can find my way through all of the twists and turns alone in the future, and then Marion and I had a nice chat. I got to look though her photo album from her year abroad in Montana and hear a few stories. Marion’s mother joined us and soon it was time for coffee and cake. More delicious treats!

Marion’s family decorated the house the day before so Christmas was everywhere, and I couldn’t have been more delighted!

 

Christmas Star

Christmas Stars hang from the ceiling and are reminiscent of the star the magi followed to Bethlehem.

Everyone in Saxony seems to have at least one Rauchermann (rauchen=smoke, Mann= man). Rauchermänner are an Erzgebirge specialty.  These enchanting wooden figures of all kinds have open mouths and hollow stomachs so that you can lift off the tops, insert a cone of burning incense, place the top back on, and then marvel as a steam of Christmas smoke comes out of his (or her) mouth.

Rauchermann

Pyramide made by Tom and his dad. There are
figurines inside on each level that turn around.

While you won’t find Christmas lights strung around rooftops and wrapped around trees, Schwibbogen light up numerous windows with the glow of candlelight…or at least electric candles. Within the wooden arches you can find countless scenes.

Another delight was the Pyramide made by Tom, Marion’s husband, and his father year’s ago. Tom is a carpenter but working with wood was only a hobby for his father.

After the sunset all of the adults headed to the center of town to see the giant Pyramide light up and start turning. I rode the bus home with Marion’s mother and then walked with her to her apartment. She actually lives quite close to me, and I hope we see each other more often!

 

Marion and I at the giant Pyramide

St. Nicholas Day

Thursday I was warned more than once to clean my shoes that night. Friday was St. Nicholas Day, and everyone with clean shoes finds candy and small presents inside, while those with dirty shoes receive only a lump of coal.

I have never been so well rewarded for clean shoes! At the end of lessons on Friday, I went back to the Biology room to find socks and leg warms hanging out of the pocket of my coat and a bag of presents hanging from a button. Oh, and the wonders I found inside!

I was delighted to light everything, to see the candles glow, and watch the smoke billow out of my Rauchmann.

Unfortunately, less than an hour later my miniature Schwibbogen was burning. I was so sad, but at least it wasn’t completely destroyed. 

Caution: wood burns.

Baking 

I spent early Saturday afternoon with Tina. We went to the library, and then picked up a few groceries. It was time to bake Plätzchen!

Plätzchen are the traditional German Christmas cookies which come in all flavors, shapes, and sizes. We baked some which resemble the American sugar cookie with the addition of hazelnuts but only a fourth of the sugar. Although Germans consume an average of 21 kilograms of chocolate a year, their cookies and cakes lack the large quantity of sugar found in American baked goods. 

Tina baking

Our Plätzchen

Aurore's Birthday Cake

I also helped a little making a birthday cake for Aurore. I intended to arrive late to her party after the Alexander-von-Humbold Christmas Ball, but I never made it. The cake is adorable, though, right? Tina was the mastermind. I was the assistant.

The Christmas Ball

The Christmas Ball was truly lovely. Diana, an English (and French) teacher I work with invited me. She and her boyfriend picked me up, took me home, and paid my way. If that wasn't enough, she also lent me a dress to wear for the occasion so I wouldn't have to buy one.

Everyone was assigned a table, and the first order of business after sitting down was ordering drinks...of the alcoholic variety. Everyone moaned as I took pictures of the drink menu and glasses fearing for the German reputation. I couldn't help myself. They can't imagine school dances without alcohol, and I'd never imagined one with alcohol. Can you imagine standing at the bar behind your high school physics teacher at a school dance? Although the German, Meditaranian, and Sushi buffet was included in the 25 Euro entrance ticket, drinks were put on a tab which was paid at the end of the night.

Line Dancing

Before dinner was served the choir performed, a few poems were recited, and the ballroom dancers showed off their moves. After dinner a band began to play and the people danced the night away. The floor was usually full of people dancing standard ballroom dances. I kept wishing Ryan was there to lead me onto the dance floor and put our dance lessons from last summer to good use. Although I spent more of my time living vicariously through those on the dance floor, Angela, a Math and Geography teacher, lead me around for a song. I also joined a group of four line dancers who were dancing to Achy, Breaky Heart. And at the end of the night a nice, middle-aged gentlemen asked me to dance. I immediately said yes. We danced two songs together, and I wasn't terrible by the end. He was probably a parent of one of the students or an alumni. Truly, there were more adults at the school dance than students, who are welcome starting in ninth grade. 

An uncrowded dance floor

I usually turn into a pumpkin at 11 o'clock, but I managed to stay awake until I arrived home from the ball around half past midnight. Regrettably, I couldn't bring myself to leave again and never made it to Aurore's Birthday party. Instead I feel into a peaceful night's sleep.