Umschalten - Switching

Today is February 29th - Leap Day.  This is an occurrence that happens every 4 years.

In Germany, it is called Schalttag.  The Schalttag happens in a Schaltjahr.

Schalt means switch.  Schalten is the infinitive verb form (to switch).

Schalt + tag (day) = Leap Day
Schalt + jahr (year) = Leap Year

Another word that comes to mind for me is Lichtschalter

Licht + schalter = light switch!

A typical German light switch as I remember looks like this:

But I also remember in the Keller (cellar) of my German grandparents' apartment building, there was a very old light switch that looked like this:

In any case, I hope you enjoyed your extra day this year - your Schalttag!  

By the way, I read today that in true German fashion there is actually a law pertaining to any person born on February 29th.  Of course!  It is that on non-leap years, you turn your next full age on March 1st (never on February 28).  So, for example, when you turn 18 and become volljährig (an adult, "of age"), you are not considered an adult until March 1st if your 18th birthday falls on a leap year.  

And that is just a little "tidbit" - a small bite - of German. 

Between the Years

I love the German phrase zwichen den Jahren.  It means "between the years."  For me, it describes this period after Christmas but not yet to the new year quite well.  For many, school is out; time has slowed down.  The anticipation for Christmas is satisfied, but a new year looms wide open ahead!  Full of possibilities, potential -- a blank slate.  

It can be a reflective time of year.  Thinking back on all that you've been through, rehashing good memories - and hoping for good days ahead!  It is kind of a time of optimism ... at least for me.  

Of course, life goes on day-by-day ... but between the years, perhaps it goes on with a little different feeling.  It is hard to explain, but the phrase zwichen den Jahren explains it fairly well. 

"Green" Thursday

Those who follow the liturgical calendar (church calendar) observe today as Maundy Thursday.  It commemorates the evening when Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples - the "Last Supper" before his death on the cross.  It's also when Jesus washed this disciples' feet, which is another symbolism of the day.  Coins (alms) might also be given to the poor as a sign of charity. 

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Maundy might be a word that is derived from the same root from which we get the English word "mandate".  In John 13: 34 - 35, Jesus gave his disciples a mandate, a new commandment: 

...that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

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In Germany, today is called Gründonnerstag (Green Thursday).  Why green?  Some sources say that green symbolizes the "new beginning" of being forgiven of sins.  Apparently, some churches decorate with green, budding branches for a green themed decor. 

In my hometown of Frankfurt, many people look forward to eating grüne Soße (green sauce) this time of year.   It's called Grie Soss in the Frankfurt dialect. This herbal sauce is equivalent to chimichurri or salsa verde - and yet, it is uniquely Frankfurterisch. 

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One needs 7 herbs to make green sauce:  Kerbel, Schnittlauch, Petersilie, Pimpinelle, Sauerampfer, Kresse & Borretsch

1.  chervil - also known as French parsley
2.  chives
3.  parsley
4.  pimpinella - an herb of the carrot family, which includes anise, also considered medicinal
5.  sorrel
6.  cress - garden cress, related to mustard and watercress
7.  borage or starflower, also considered to be medicinal

This wonderful blend of herbs is combined with yogurt, sour cream, cooked egg yolks - through a sieve, mustard, garlic, oil, and lemon juice - then cooked, chopped egg whites and salt and pepper.  It is served with boiled eggs and boiled potatoes.  A true Frankfurter will drink Appelwei' (apple wine) or Apfelsaft (apple juice/cider) with this meal. 

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A real Frankfurter recipe can be found here:  Traditional Grüne Sosse

My recommendation is you get on an international flight TODAY and fly immediately to Frankfurt and try this sauce for yourself.  ;)

Happy Groundhog Day - or Hedgehog Day - or Some-Other-Animal Day?!

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February 2nd is Groundhog Day in America ... Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow or not?  Will there be 6 more weeks of winter or are spring temperatures just around the corner?!  

Recently I read an article about the origins of Groundhog Day, and it mentioned that the original winter-predictor was actually the HEDGEHOG, but when German settlers came to America, few hedgehogs were to be found so they watched the next best thing:  the native groundhog.  

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In German, a groundhog is translated as Murmeltier.  I am no expert on its origin, but I can tell you that the German verb murmeln means to mutter or to mumble!  (The noun Murmel is translated to be a marble.)  I prefer to envision a groundhog muttering around to himself as he is awoken at the crack of dawn by a crowd of boisterous people who force him out of hibernation to make a non-scientific prediction of the weather forecast for the next 6 weeks.  HOW RUDE!

The hedgehog is der Igel in German.  I wrote a little more about the word Igel during my Projekt:  A bis Z posts last year.  The word is pronounced:  ee-gehl.  

All of this said - and guess what?  Upon further research and "google-ing," I found that Wikipedia states that the Germans did NOT substitute the groundhog for a hedgehog but that the tradition in the Old Country had been to use a BADGER as a winter weather predictor!  The German word for badger is Dachs.  

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The Pennsylvania Dutch were immigrants from German-speaking areas of Europe. The Germans already had a tradition of marking Candlemas (February 2) as "Badger Day" (Dachstag), where if a badger emerging found it to be a sunny day thereby casting a shadow, it foreboded the prolonging of winter by four more weeks.

Protestant Germany

The Candlemas was a Catholic festival officially eliminated by the Protestant Reformists, but it had been retained and continued to be celebrated by the folk.

The weather-predicting animal on Candlemas was usually the badger, although regionally the animal was the bear or the fox.  The original weather-predicting animal in Germany had been the bear, another hibernating mammal, but when they grew scarce the lore became altered.

Similarity to the groundhog lore has been noted for the German formula "Sonnt sich der Dachs in der Lichtmeßwoche, so geht er auf vier Wochen wieder zu Loche" (If the badger sunbathes during Candlemas-week, for four more weeks he will be back in his hole).  A slight variant is found in a collection of weather lore (bauernregeln, lit. "farmers' rules") printed in Austria in 1823.

(Source for above information is Wikipedia.)

Personally, no matter what animal has the best odds of correctly predicting our next 6 weeks' forecast, I am hoping for SPRING WEATHER as soon as possible.  How about you?

Germany's Other Side: The Tale of Hans Schemm

For the most part, I choose to focus on what is scenic, historical, cultural, and deliciously gastronomic about Germany.  However, for those of us who are German, it is unavoidable that the past catches up to us occasionally if we know much about our ancestors, especially those who lived during the "Hitler years".  My own German family, at least on my mother's side, suffered much because of World War II.  I don't know everything about them, but I know my grandmother - and my great grandparents along with 9 children - had to flee from their beautiful homeland of East Prussia because the Russians were taking over the territory brutally and barbarically.  My father lost his father on the Russian front when he was about 8 years old.  My great-uncle spent many years in a prison camp in Siberia (and lived to tell about it!).

I am sure there are things I don't know - and don't want to know.  I have had glimpses of relatives who embraced the Nazi party and joined its ranks.  I don't want to glorify that in any way ... and yet, there are facts about that time that can provide a glimpse into German life of that mostly awful time period.

I have copies of the pages of a Frauenkalender (women's calendar) from 1942 that show how the Nazi propaganda was spread among the German people.  A quote from the week of March 1-7, 1942, is loosely translated OUR RESPONSIBILITY:  The bodily and psychological carrier of the family is the mother.  The foundation of her thinking and will must be racial pride.  An aged wise man said:  "Give me better mothers and I give you a better world."  The fortune of the world lies anchored in the nursery. 

This quote is credited to Hans Schemm.  Herr Schemm was a teacher, a chemist and a Nazi. As early as 1923, after he met Adolf Hitler on September 30, his loyalties were to the National Socialists for whom he grounded a National Socialist Teacher's Federation.  He was clearly antidemocratic, anti-Jewish, and anti-communistic.  He used his influence through newspaper articles and teaching to spread his Nazi message and gain support for the party.  He was rewarded with a seat in the Reichstag and was made a SA Gruppenführer and Gauleiter (provincial governor under Hitler).    Hans Schemm's influence ended when he succumbed to his injuries following an aircraft crash on March 5, 1935, a date which the calendar page above commemorates.  He was honored by having numerous halls, schools, and streets named after him.

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(The legend of the above coin says, "haltet einander die Treue" which means

"Hold true to one another.")

If you are a student of history, you know that the Nazis wanted large - and strong - families.  Mothers of pure Aryan background were of highest value and almost considered "breeders".  Children were esteemed.  Hans Schemm said, "Those who have the youth on their side control the future."  Ironically, as far as Wikipedia states, Hans Schemm only had one son, born in 1917, perhaps because he contracted tuberculosis during World War I and was unable to father more children.

This too is part of German history ... Looking back, we now know the entire story, how seemingly innocent and sweet calendar pictures of a mother and baby were actually used to promote a dangerous, tyrannical, and racist regime, which affected millions of people very, very adversely.  I feel it should be mentioned - out of interest - out of historical context - and so that we may learn to never allow such atrocities to creep into our world again.

Happy Thanksgiving!

An equivalent to Thanksgiving in Germany is Erntedankfest (Harvest Thanks Fest), which was celebrated on October 1 this year.

Erntedankfest in Germany is foremost observed through church services in both Catholic and Evangelisch (Lutheran) congregations, although many villages do decorate and celebrate as well.  A hymn often used in the church services is "Wir Pflügen und Wir Streuen".  Here is a youtube version with English translation "We plough the fields and scatter":



Happy Thanksgiving!  Today I am thankful that I have been able to blog for over 1 year now about something dear to my heart and share ein klein bisschen German with you.

May you enjoy a day of Familie, Freunde, und Festlichkeit! 
(Family, Friends, and Celebration!)   

Fastenzeit (Fasting Time)

Today is Ash Wednesday ... I'm not Catholic or Lutheran or any denomination that observes this event formally, and so this is really not a tradition that is familiar to me although when we lived in the Franconian region of Bavaria while stationed in Germany, this day was a part of the German holiday calendar for the state.   Germans call this day Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday), and it is (or was) a school holiday in many, if not all, states of Germany. 

The more I've read about the German practices of Advent and other observations, the more I am convinced that these dates can be a good lesson or time for reflection for any Christian.  Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the Lenten season of 40 days of fasting.  The word fast/fasting is derived from the German word Fasten. 

It wouldn't hurt any of us to either give up or add something to our spiritual practices for just 40 days. Isn't it doing something over and over again for 21 days that creates a habit?  Perhaps it is a way to instill something good into our lives anyway!? 

The religious connotation of Lent and fasting seem to focus on giving up something - meat, sweets, alcohol, etc.  We could also add something:  a daily Bible reading or devotion, a random act of kindness or such like for 40 days.  And then maybe even beyond!

Of course, the purpose of Ash Wednesday is to repent and enter into fasting with a clean heart and conscience before God and men.  That's never a bad idea either!  Sack-cloth-and-ashes repentance is definitely a Bible concept, seen especially in the Old Testament. 

In doing a little research about this topic, I came across an interesting article from Christianity Today's website, discussing the merits of observing Lent from a Baptist and Protestant perspective:  Lent-Why Bother?  I will disclaimer that not everything in the article or by Christianity Today reflects this blog author's beliefs, but I think there is much redeeming material here.

So, Ash Wednesday and Lent --- Do you already observe it?  Does your particular church or denomination?  Do you find it might be useful for anyone claiming a relationship with God? 

Lent lasts now until the Saturday before Easter.  It is to be a time of repentance and preparation and self-reflection for 40 dedicated days (not counting Sundays).  The significance of 40 in the Bible seems to be tied to probation or trials, although I don't want to get tied up too much in numerology, but consider this:

Here are some examples of the Bible’s use of the number 40 that stress the theme of testing or judgment:

In the Old Testament, when God destroyed the earth with water, He caused it to rain 40 days and 40 nights (Genesis 7:12). After Moses killed the Egyptian, he fled to Midian, where he spent 40 years in the desert tending flocks (Acts 7:30). Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights (Exodus 24:18). Moses interceded on Israel’s behalf for 40 days and 40 nights (Deuteronomy 9:18, 25). The Law specified a maximum number of lashes a man could receive for a crime, setting the limit at 40 (Deuteronomy 25:3). The Israelite spies took 40 days to spy out Canaan (Numbers 13:25). The Israelites wandered for 40 years (Deuteronomy 8:2-5). Before Samson’s deliverance, Israel served the Philistines for 40 years (Judges 13:1). Goliath taunted Saul’s army for 40 days before David arrived to slay him (1 Samuel 17:16). When Elijah fled from Jezebel, he traveled 40 days and 40 nights to Mt. Horeb (1 Kings 19:8).

The number 40 also appears in the prophecies of Ezekiel (4:6; 29:11-13) and Jonah (3:4).

In the New Testament, Jesus was tempted for 40 days and 40 nights (Matthew 4:2). There were 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:3).
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I haven't committed to giving up or adding anything yet today ... but I might.  After all, it is "only" 40 days, and who knows what the long-lasting consequences have the potential to be! 

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.
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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 

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.

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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?

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.