Dear Readers,Christmas is here! and I wish you a very Merry Christmas time! It is the second day of Christmas and I have just returned from my Christmas celebrations, which took place this year in Schledehausen, Germany. I had the good fortune of being invited by a former exchange student, who made the year long journey from Germany to Atlanta a few years back, to celebrate the holiday with her and her family... getting the opportunity to participate in both German and Vietnamese traditions.
The season of anticipation is marked in many different ways, the lighting of advent wreaths, withholding from Christmas songs until Christmas day, advent calendars, the change of spirit in the air- giving us that feeling that something is coming. Here is also the tradition that the Christmas tree is not decorated until Christmas Eve, locking the doors to the living room in the days just before the holy evening, to be opened again once the Christmas festivities begin.
This 24th of December was celebrated with a trip to one of the local schools to see a performance of an old German theatrical piece, performed in the Old German language, simply and uniquely telling the Christmas story. Following we headed off to the church for the 5:00 service, finding seats only left in the first row. We then went back to the house for an evening of celebration, and....
Christmas Eve Dinner: Fondue Including a variety of vegetables, dips, and meats- one of which was Ostrich
No matter where you are in the world the holidays are filled with eating and more eating. Christmas day was celebrated with a Vietnamese family with traditional food served throughout four courses: soup, egg rolls, duck, and dessert
My time with the family included a tour of some of the surrounding sights and the opportunity to briefly meet a few other neighborly families and get an up close view of the insides of the traditional half-timbered houses. Special to this region, their architecture is unique in being different from other cities here in Niedersachsen.
The Town Castle
Just down the hill from the house in which I stayed is the Schelenburg Wasserschloss. Surrounded by a moat it sits in water, which is essential for its foundation as so long as the castle sits in water its foundation will not rot. In winter, once it is completely frozen over, it also serves as a local ice skating rink.
This here is for the Denver folks- Dinosaur footprints, just like those out on the hogbacks :)
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