Merry German Christmas: Basteln / Crafts

German Christmas traditions include baking (especially cookies, such as Vanillekipferl), the tree, celebrating Advent, and BASTELN.  Basteln means crafting.  There is a verb form basteln which means to make crafts or to do handiwork; to tinker.  Some of my most treasured Christmas items are hand made.

There are probably millions of books, magazines, websites, and Pinterest pins about various German Christmas crafts.  None of the following are my original posts or crafts, but they are among my favorite!  I am citing the source from which I copied each.

STROHSTERNE  (straw stars)

This Christmas craft connects the straw from the manger in which baby Jesus lay to the star of Bethlehem that showed the shepherds where He was born.

Here is a very simple ornament you can make from toothpicks (but mimicking the look of a straw ornament) from Just Crafty Enough blog.

picture source:  Just Crafty Enough

Another blog shares how to make ornaments from straw - check out Ursula Markgraf:

picture source:  Ursula Markgraf

Star ornaments are also popular using paper and foil:

Paper Star tutorial from With a Grateful Prayer

Foil Star from Glittering Muffins

picture source Glittering Muffins

Again, natural elements are very common in German Christmas decorating:  dried orange and apple slices, nuts, cinnamon sticks, pine cones, etc. Here are a few more Christmas craft ideas with the source from where I found them underneath:

source:  wunderbare-enkel

source:  bastelideen

And lastly, a SUPER EASY and fragrant decoration, which my mom and I enjoy:  

CLOVE-DECORATED ORANGES

Make a pattern or stripes by sticking the whole cloves into an orange, then place decorated oranges in a bowl with greenery, nuts, pine cones, ribbons or whatever you have around the house.

photo source

Frohes Basteln!

(happy crafting)

1. Advent 2016

GBPicsOnline.com 

 November 27 marks the 1st Sunday of Advent in 2016.  It is the first of 4 Sundays in the countdown to Christmas.  I did not grow up in a church denomination that celebrated the Advent season liturgically like Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, or Episcopalians might, but I think it is a wonderful concept.  Advent is a Latin-derived word that means "coming." The season anticipates the arrival of Christ at his birth, into our hearts, and keeps us looking for His second coming not as a baby but as a Judge and King.

I do have an Advent wreath which I bought when we were stationed in Germany with the Army.  A typical German advent wreath is made up of greenery and has 4 pillar candles of whatever color you prefer.  A traditional church advent wreath will probably have tapers in the colors purple or blue, pink, and white.  Each denomination has its own color scheme with certain symbolism.  I think the violet/purple indicates hope, preparation and love; the pink/rose is for rejoicing; and often a white 5th candle is lit on Christmas day representing Christ, the spotless Lamb of God.

My children also enjoy Advent calendars.  Our local Aldi grocery store always sells Advent calendars with little chocolate treats for each day - the simple one is generally 99 cents and the fancier one is $4.99:

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However you may celebrate the first Advent Sunday, I hope you will consider the true meaning of this season today.  Commercialism and the stress of buying gifts, decorating, parties, and activities can often crowd out the rememberance that JESUS was born!  Savior, Emmanuel, God with us.  

There is a lot of Christmas music playing these days, but only a few songs are considered Advent songs.  One of my favorite Advent hymns during this season is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel:

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 This ancient advent hymn originated in part from the “Great ‘O’ Antiphons,” part of the medieval Roman Catholic Advent liturgy. On each day of the week leading up to Christmas, one responsive verse would be chanted, each including a different Old Testament name for the coming Messiah. When we sing each verse of this hymn, we acknowledge Christ as the fulfillment of these Old Testament prophesies. We sing this hymn in an already-but not yet-kingdom of God. Christ's first coming gives us a reason to rejoice again and again, yet we know that all is not well with the world. So along with our rejoicing, we plead using the words of this hymn that Christ would come again to perfectly fulfill the promise that all darkness will be turned to light. The original text created a reverse acrostic: “ero cras,” which means, “I shall be with you tomorrow.” That is the promise we hold to as we sing this beautiful hymn.
Source

1 O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

2 O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go. Refrain

3 O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to your tribes on Sinai's height
in ancient times did give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain

4 O come, O Branch of Jesse's stem,
unto your own and rescue them!
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them victory o'er the grave. Refrain

5 O come, O Key of David, come
and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe for us the heavenward road
and bar the way to death's abode. Refrain

6 O come, O Bright and Morning Star,
and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light. Refrain

7 O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace. Refrain 

O Tannenbaum!

picture source

Even though traditionally, in Germany, the Christmas tree is first revealed in its decorated glory on Christmas Eve and then remains until December 6th, in America, we are already decorating Christmas trees around this Thanksgiving time.  There is such a variety of Christmas tree styles and types of trees used - from artificial to live ones.  In my imagination, if I could conjure up the "ideal" German tree, this is somewhat what it would look like:

picture source

I think the most popular tree used in Northern Europe, just based on some reading I have done, is a variety of fir tree - balsam, noble, Nordmann, and silver-tipped.  They tend to not have the conical (triangular) shape of an idea tree like a Douglas fir or spruce, but have some uneven, stray branches sticking out randomly at the top, which gives it a whimsical, not-so-perfectly-shaped appearance:

picture source

I have a few pictures of my German family at Christmas (actually, the picture below is probably from New Years Eve, based on the bottle of "spirits" my great-great grandfather is holding).  I wish I knew exactly what year this was, but considering my great-great grandfather passed away in the mid-1930s, it obviously had to have been before then.  My great-great grandfather is seated here on the left, 2 of his children are also pictured (his son behind him, holding what appears to be a dog? and his daughter seated on her fiance-soon-to-be-husband's lap).  A neighbor is peeking out from behind the happy couple: 

This next picture is taken at Christmas 1970 - and that baby is *ME*.  I was born at the end of November.   I am being admired by my grandparents - my paternal grandmother and my maternal grandfather.  This Christmas tree has something on it, aside from the candles, that to me represents German tree decorating or perhaps it is only a trend of the time period.  It is the Lametta, the silver "icicle" tinsel.    

picture source

Maybe you can see a little of that German influence on the trees we had while I was growing up.  For example, in 1981, we had the biggest cedar tree (from my Tennessee Grandpa's farm) in our living room, and it was decorated with real candles and Lametta.....

and in 1984, we decorated with an apple theme and candles.

While themed trees and fancily decorated trees are lovely, and I cherish every hand-made ornament that my children place on our family tree now, I think that a traditional German tree has a more "natural" feel to it.  The ornaments seem often to be made out of wood or wool, perhaps crocheted snowflakes or intricate tin craftsmanship, homemade stars formed from foil paper, dried fruits such as orange slices, and natural elements like pine cones and berries.  

In the days ahead, I hope to share a little more about my experiences of Christmas, German-style. 

However you may prefer to decorate your tree, it is always such a joy to pull out the ornaments and perhaps look forward to new ones ... and to hear the carols of Christmas such as O Tannenbaum!

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Das Wort zum Sonntag / A Word for Sunday - 20.11.2016

source:  google images

~*~ 

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,

and make a joyful noise unto Him with Psalms.

Psalm 95:2

Leckerbissen zu Weihnachten / Christmas Treats: Vanillekipferl

Leckerbissen is a German word meaning treat, tidbit, or delicacy.  

Lecker means yummy or delicious; ein Bissen is a bite.  

These yummy bites are perfect for the holidays!

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Vanillekipferl originated in Austria but are a popular treat on most German Christmas cookie plates.  The dough typically has ground almonds (or hazelnuts) in it, and the cookies are dusted with vanilla sugar (recipe below- make your own vanilla sugar NOW for baking needs over the holidays - it needs to sit 2 weeks!!).  By the way, Kipferl refers to the crescent shape of the cookie.

To watch and hear a German baker make these cookies, you can watch this clip from the famous cooking and baking supplier, Dr. Oetker's kitchen. (Dr. Oetker is the Betty Crocker of Germany!):

chefkoch.de - Vanillekipferl

 picture source

Melania's Vanillekipferl - 

Almond Cookie Recipe 

recipe source

Ingredients:

• 1¾ cups flour, all-purpose
• 1 cup ground almonds
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla sugar
• 1 cup butter, cold
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 6 tsp vanilla sugar

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 300 ° F.
• Mix flour, ground almonds, sugar and 2 tsp vanilla sugar together in a large bowl.
• Cut in cold butter. 
• Quickly mix all ingredients together to make a smooth dough.
• Roll a small amount of dough into a thin roll. Cut into 2" rolls.
• Place onto greased baking sheet and form into crescents.
• Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
• Remove from oven and roll warm cookies in the powdered sugar that has been mixed with 6 tsp vanilla sugar.
• Makes about 4 dozen.

Hints:

• These cookies store very well, actually getting better the longer they stand.          

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Vanilla Sugar Recipe

recipe source

Ingredients:

• about 2 cups of granulated white sugar
• 1 vanilla bean

Instructions:

• Put sugar into seal-able glass/ceramic jar.
• Cut vanilla bean in half (not lengthwise or the seeds will come out)
• Place bean sections in sugar.
• Close jar and place in cool, dark place.
• Let sit at least 2 weeks before using.
• You can keep refilling the jar with sugar because the beans stay potent for quite some time.

Hints:

• If you wish, you can cut the beans lengthwise ... and you'll get more aroma into the sugar. You may also get the seeds in there, but if you don't mind that, it works great.

Oma's German Recipes is a GREAT resource for the best German recipes, converted into American measurements.  You can find other recipes like these there.

Don't have 2 weeks to make Vanilla Sugar? 

Order some from AMAZON:

• This post contains an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the product link, I’ll receive some compensation.

November Holiday Inspiration:

The German (and Protestant church) liturgical calendar includes Buß-und-Bettag.  This occurs on the penultimate (2nd to last) Wednesday before the first Sunday of Advent, which in 2016 would be TODAY, November 16.  Bußen is a verb that means "to repent" and Beten is a verb that means "to pray".  Obviously, this day calls people to repent and pray.  The basis of the holiday is, from my research, the story of the city of Nineveh in the Old Testament book of Jonah.  Specifically chapter 3:4-10.

source

At this time, this day is a holiday from work in the state of Saxony, a state bordering on Poland and and the Czech Republic which includes the cities of Dresden and Leipzig, and is a school holiday in Bavaria.  All other states in Germany no longer celebrate this church holiday by giving the day off work or school.

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Buß-und-Bettag is also - along with the festival of St. Martin, celebrated on November 11th - the unofficial beginning of the Christmas preparation season.  St. Martin Day, by the way, celebrates a converted Roman soldier, Martin of Tours, who became a monk and was known as a friend of children and the poor.  This day is celebrated with lantern processionals and bonfires.  Roast goose is also a symbolic meal of the day because it is said Martin was a humble man and didn't want to be ordained as a bishop even though the people wanted it.  He hid in a goose pen to avoid being found by a crowd who wanted to force him to be ordained, but the geese's honking betrayed him.

While it is a toasty, unseasonal 80°F (26°C) here in NW Arkansas, I am seeking any inspiration to begin holiday preparation.

In the days ahead, throughout the holiday season, I hope to share some of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes.

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Typical German Christmas cookies include Lebkuchen (gingerbread), Kipferle (almond/vanilla crescent-shaped cookie), Zimtsterne (cinnamon stars), sugar cookies, Pfeffernüsse (spiced cookies), shortbread, and Spitzbuben, also called Linzer-Augen Kekse (jam-filled sandwich cookies).  

Do you have a favorite?  Are you curious about any one in particular?

Seriously?

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I'm not really sure how or why people tend to consider Germans as being so serious?

Is it because we tend to be more formal when meeting people or conducting business?

Is it our lack of familiarity with someone we just met or the unwillingness to say "come by sometime" especially when we don't really mean it??

Xenophobe's Guide to Germans, a satirical guide to understanding the quirks and traits of Germans, states, "Germans take their humor very seriously ... It is no laughing matter."  

There are many stereotypes of Germans:  they love soccer, beer, and sausage ... they are direct and blunt in speaking ... they are punctual and organized.  And on it goes.  I only need to show you a picture of a Bavarian in his traditional Lederhosen, and most people would correctly recognize that person as "German".  However, as is the case with most stereotypes, it is not always consistent.  Take the Lederhosen-clad Bavarian; he only represents one particular state (Bundesland) in Germany, not all German region's traditional dress.  Consider also that I am German-born, but I am almost always running LATE!  Now, I must defend my German-ness by noting that I *am* neat and organized.  

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I haven't taken any formal surveys, so my facts are just observations, but maybe Germans are seen as serious because they are so direct (in general), especially in business dealings.  It is what it is, you know.  They can be viewed as rude, arrogant, or maybe even boring.  Also, Germans, as a whole, are not known to be "smiley" people.  They usually only smile if they are sincere.  In America, we seem to interpret smiling as being friendly and open.  In fact, at the organization I currently work for here in Arkansas, there is an implemented 10/5 rule:  "when walking down a hallway, you are to SMILE at any approaching person at 10 feet and greet them at 5 feet."  In Germany, you might only smile and greet a person or co-worker if you know them personally.  Otherwise, just passing each other without making eye contact in a hallway is not considered rude at all. 

I think German society is slowly adapting some of the "American" ways, perhaps through the influence of the military presence in Germany for so long or maybe because of all the American movies and TV shows that are shown in Germany.   But I remember a day when my older German relatives would almost mock the American's practise of saying "Have a nice day" to every customer and stranger they meet or asking a stranger, "How are you?" (as if they really cared!?!).  While it IS German etiquette to say a friendly "Guten Tag" (or "Gruss Gott" or whatever greeting is normal for the region) when you enter a shop, particularly a small one, it has NOT been the practise to say "Have a nice day."  However, the last time I was in Germany in 2012, we were wished, "Schönen Tag noch!" (= <have a> good day now or also) by a store clerk several times.  

Despite all the reputed seriousness, Germans CAN have a good time and share a great joke!  My Opa and other relatives of mine were great story tellers, and often, a funny story could have us all in stitches.  And there are plenty of German comedians and comedic film stars, stemming back to Heinz Rühmann, who starred in a famous movie Der Hauptmann von Köpenick ("The Captain of Köpernick"), based on a true story of a German imposter who posed as a Prussian military officer and gained sudden and great respect (filmed in 1956 and set in 1906).  

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Another famous German comedian my family enjoyed is Hans Moser.  One of his most famous movies that I remember is Hallo, Dienstman ("Hello, Porter") made in 1952.  You can read about it at IMDb's website.  It is interesting to note that Charlie Chaplin bought the rights for the sketch this movie is based on. He never performed it though, because he felt he couldn't keep up with Hans Moser's wit.

And consider that every New Years Eve since 1963, an 18 minute comedic sketch is shown without fail in German television, Dinner for One.  The introduction of the clip below is in German, but the actual story is in English, starting at the 2:25 mark.

A fond memory of my childhood was watching the German TV variety show, Verstehen Sie Spass?  ("Do You Understand Fun?").  The show has run in Germany since 1980.  It is equivalent to America's Candid Camera.

Germans aren't really as serious as they are reputed to be!  Just get to know one, and you'll soon find yourself smiling and laughing.

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Das Wort zum Sonntag / A Word for Sunday: 13.11.2016

(photo source:  google images)

Psalm 90:2

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

LECKERBISSEN: Old World Dinner

Leckerbissen is a German word meaning treat, tidbit, or delicacy.  

Lecker means yummy or delicious; ein Bissen is a bite.  

Here is a recipe that will provide you with a YUMMY BITE (or two or more).

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Sauerkraut is a traditionally German food.  It literally means sour cabbage; it is finely shredded, fermented/pickled cabbage.  I think you either LOVE Sauerkraut, or you hate it (I love it!!).  If you happen to LOVE it too and have a big group of people to feed, I recommend my friend's easy crock pot recipe which incorporates Sauerkraut, potatoes, apples, and Bratwurst or Polish sausage (and a little bit of bacon!).  

Old World Dinner

recipe from Melanie F., Iowa, USA

INGREDIENTS:

3 strips of bacon

2 small potatoes (I used more – but they were those small, golden potatoes which I didn't peel; 

I always called them “salad” potatoes), peeled and cubed

2 small apples (I used a gala – and just one), cored and cubed

2 lbs. cooked Bratwurst or Polish sausage, cut into pieces

3 tsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp flour

2 cans 27-oz. Sauerkraut (or glass jar of Sauerkraut, however you find it!)

1/2 cup water (or chicken broth or I just threw in a chicken bouillon cube)

Fry bacon and sausage in a large frying pan.  Drain the grease. 

Put the meats into the crockpot.

Add flour to the pan and blend into the drippings.

Then stir in the Sauerkraut; and I went ahead and mixed in the apple pieces and potatoes and brown sugar, and let this cook a little while, coating everything in the drippings.

Put all the ingredients in the crockpot – add the brown sugar (if you haven't already) and water or broth.  Mix well.   

Cook on low for 7-9 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

GUTEN APPETIT!

Schicksalstag - November 9 - "Day of Fate"

November 9, 2016, may seem like a "Day of Fate" for the United States as Americans processed the results of the Presidential election that took place on November 8th.  But November 9th has been called the "Day of Fate" - Schicksalstag - in Germany due to events stemming back to 1848.  5 major, history-altering events happened in Germany on a November 9th. But first, a little vocab lesson: 

VOCAB TIDBIT

In that infamous German compound noun way, the word Schicksalstag is actually a lot easier to understand if you break it down.  Schicksal means fate; it can also be translated as fortune or doom, depending on the context.  Tag means day.  

Tag is a word that is added to many simple nouns to make words that you may or may not be familiar with.  Examples:

Geburtstag.  Geburt is birth + tag = birthday.  

Feiertag is a holiday.  Feier is celebration.

Similarly, a Ruhetag is a day of rest (Ruhe).  Sonntag is meant to be a Ruhetag (Sonntag = Sunday).   All weekdays in German end in -tag except Wednesday, which is Mittwoch (mid of the week):  Montag, Dienstag, Donnerstag, Freitag. Samstag & Sonntag.  

**By the way, a German week traditionally starts on MONTAG, and German calendars reflect this.**

(calendar source)

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Now getting back to the SCHICKSALSTAG of November 9th ...

Here is a list of 5 fateful events that happened in Germany on a November 9th in history, courtesy of wikipedia:

• 1848: After being arrested in the Vienna revolts, left liberal leader Robert Blum was executed. The execution can be seen as a symbolic event or forecast of the ultimate crushing of the German March Revolution in April/May 1849.

• 1918: Monarchy in Germany ended when Kaiser Wilhelm II was dethroned in the November Revolution by his chancellor Max von Baden, who published the news of abdication before the emperor actually abdicated. Philipp Scheidemann proclaimed the Weimar Republic from a window of the Reichstag. Two hours later Karl Liebknecht proclaimed a "Free Socialist Republic" from a balcony of the Berliner Stadtschloss. 

• 1923: The failed Beer Hall Putsch, from 8 to 9 November, marks an early emergence and provisional downfall of the Nazi Party as an important player on Germany's political landscape. Without sufficient preparation Hitler simply declared himself leader in Munich, Bavaria. Hitler's march through Munich was stopped by Bavarian police who opened fire. Sixteen nationalists and four policemen were killed. 

• 1938: In what is today known as Kristallnacht (or The Night of Broken Glass), from 9 to 10 November, synagogues and Jewish property were burned and destroyed on a large scale. More than 400 Jews were killed or driven into suicide. The event demonstrated that the antisemitic stance of the Nazi regime was not so 'moderate' as it had appeared partially in earlier years. 

(photo source:  wikipedia)

• 1989: The fall of the Berlin Wall ended German separation and started a series of events that ultimately led to German reunification and the Fall of Communism in eastern Europe. November 9 was considered for the date for German Unity Day, but as it was also the anniversary of Kristallnacht, this date was considered inappropriate as a national holiday. The date of the formal reunification of Germany, 3 October 1990, therefore, was chosen as the date for this German national holiday instead, to replace 17 June, the celebration of the uprising of 1953 in East Germany.