St. Barbara is still the patron Saint of Artillerymen. Each year artillery units gather together and have St. Barbara Day Balls - formal dinners and dances. As a former artilleryman, it's good to see that I have another connection to my Bohemian ancestors. Rob Simmons Ada, Michigan > [Original Message] > From: aida kraus <akibb1@verizon.net> > To: <GERMAN-BOHEMIAN-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 11/30/2005 7:24:46 PM > Subject: Re: [GERMAN-BOHEMIAN] Christmas in Germany / Austria > > "The Holy Barbara is the saint of the miners and in earlier times she was > the saint of the artillerymen as well. In some areas of mining there are > 'Barbara-feasts' until today." you stated.... > Karen: There is a custom at Karlsbad called "Barbarazweige" > ansetzen.....Our Egerl�nder would go out into their orchards and cut a > branch from their cherry tree on December 4th. It was put in a vase and if > it bloomed at Christmas, all was going to be well with the family. If a girl > had more than one suitor and did not know whom to favor, she would cut two > or three branches of different sizes and "named" them with the name of her > suitors. The one that bloomed first would become her husband.....!!! > from Aida > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <KarenHob@aol.com> > To: <GERMAN-BOHEMIAN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 3:59 PM > Subject: Re: [GERMAN-BOHEMIAN] Christmas in Germany / Austria > > > > Lori, > > > > If you want more information about Christmas with the German-bohemians you > > should look at some of the past December issues of the GBHS Heimatbrief at > > their > > website: > > > > The pages I got when I visited the URL I posted were all in English. > > These are two of them: > > > > Austria: Long-established customs > > > > When the nights are drawing out and the days are getting colder this is > > also > > in Austria a sign of the approaching Christmas time which is characterized > > by > > long-established customs. > > > > In the streets and shops of Austria Christmas decoration, illuminated > > trees > > and Santa Claus-figures in many front gardens create a festive Christmassy > > atmosphere. It's not only the children who beam with happiness when it's > > time for > > 'Christkindl'-fairs, nativity plays and watching the cribs everywhere - of > > course also the grown-ups are strongly attracted to all this. When the > > smell of > > the Christmas baking spreads in the houses the busy hustle and bustle > > gives way > > to silence and contemplation. Most of all in the countryside many > > traditional > > events take place. > > > > Two days in Advent are especially noticeable because of they are > > particular > > Austrian: it is the St Barbara's Day on the 4th of December and the St > > Nicholas' Day on the 6th of December. The Holy Barbara is the saint of the > > miners and > > in earlier times she was the saint of the artillerymen as well. In some > > areas > > of mining there are 'Barbara-feasts' until today. In the votiv chapel of > > Vienna a candle four metres long is lighted in honour of the artillery. > > > > Traditional customs concerning St Nicholas one can find in Matrei in > > Eastern > > Tyrol, in Carinthia, in Styria and in many other places of Austria. Here > > St > > Nicholas processions take place that often have a touch of acting on > > stage. > > > > In some parts of the country wind players in the church towers call the > > children out of the houses and flats so that the parents can do last > > preparations > > for Christmas Eve. The youngest receive their presents from the Christ > > Child or > > Santa Claus. The evening ends with an opulent Christmas dinner. The > > Austrians > > serve meat or fish as a main course and for dessert there is strudel > > pastry, > > fruit bread, stollen or gingerbread. > > > > Christmas Day, the 25th of December, traditionally belongs to the family. > > On > > St Stephen's Day, the 26th of December, people usually go out to see some > > friends or relatives. In earlier times the farmers used to move their > > horses on > > this day - from this developed the tradition of the 'St Stephen's-riding'. > > The > > people of St. Stefan in the valley of Lavant connect this riding with a > > blessing of their horses. > > > > Reference: �sterreich-Werbung > > > > > > > > Further reports concerning Christmas in Austria > > > > Christmas customs in Austria > > > > Steyr - the only official town of the Christ Child > > > > Unterhimmel: this is where the Christ Child lives > > > > Christmas customs in Vorarlberg > > > > > > > > > > Germany: Crib, Christ Child and Christmas tree > > > > For the children Christmas Eve is the most eagerly awaited day of the > > whole > > year. When on the 24th of December all the candles of the Christmas tree > > are > > alight and the presents under the Christmas tree promise great surprises > > then > > the little cheeks of the children redden and the whole family is in a > > festive > > mood. > > > > But there is an awful lot to do until Christmassy quietness can come to > > German living rooms. Until midday people go shopping because they lay in > > stocks for > > the holidays! > > > > Many families begin with the preparation in the late afternoon. The 'home > > crib', famous since the 17th century mainly in Catholic regions of > > Germany, is > > taken from the cellar or from the attic. The custom of having cribs at > > home goes > > back to St. Francis. The legend says that in 1233 he was the first who > > performed the incidents of the Holy Night. In earlier times the crib was > > meant to > > show the joy and the happiness of Catholic families who saw their cribs as > > an > > opposite to the Protestant Christmas tree. Most of all it is the children > > who > > love to help when it comes to decorate the Christmas tree. > > > > Colorful glitter-balls, lametta, figures madde out of wax, glass and metal > > and stars made out of straw transform the pine-trees and spruces into > > typical > > German Christmas trees. The top of the tree is decorated with a > > gold-glittering > > angel or an artistically manufactured glass ball. Another specialty are > > the so > > called Christmas pyramids from Saxony that can be found in many German > > households. on top of the pyramid is a winged wheel that is driven by the > > flame of > > the candles. This winged wheel passes on ist movement to the other levels > > of > > the pyramid. All these levels go round in a circle and they show what > > happened > > in the Holy Night. > > > > For centuries the Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus with a service. > > Depending on region and religious denomination this service takes place in > > the > > late afternoon or at the midnight hour. > > > > Christmas Day and Boxing Day, the 25th and the 26th of December, > > traditionally belong to the families. On the 25th of December the > > relations come together > > for an opulent meal - before that the children play with their new toys - > > Santa's surprise the evening before. In the afternoon the families go for > > a walk, > > to see some friends or to one of the Christmas concerts that take place in > > many German churches. > > > > Reference: Content-Team Globalheads Gmbh > > > > > > > > > > I don't know > > > > In a message dated 11/30/2005 12:44:20 PM Mountain Standard Time, > > lschriefer@hswgb.com writes: > > Is there an English translation for all of this? > > > > Lori Schriefer > > Hance Scarborough Wright Ginsberg & Brusilow, LLP > > 14755 Preston Road, Suite 600 > > Dallas, Texas 75254 > > Telephone: 972-788-1600 > > Facsimile: 972-702-0662 > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: KarenHob@aol.com [mailto:KarenHob@aol.com] > > Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 12:41 PM > > To: GERMAN-BOHEMIAN-L@rootsweb.com > > Subject: [GERMAN-BOHEMIAN] Christmas in Germany / Austria > > > > > > Another URL for Christmas around the world. This one includes Germany > > and > > Austria which were missing from the other. The descriptions are more > > detailed. > > > > http://www.global-christmas.com/scripts_en/world/europe/main_world_europ > > e01.ht > > ml > > > > > > ==== GERMAN-BOHEMIAN Mailing List ==== > > Forgotten how to UNSUBSCRIBE? > > Visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~gbhs/mailinglist/mailinglist.html > > > > > > > > ==== GERMAN-BOHEMIAN Mailing List ==== > > Forgotten how to UNSUBSCRIBE? > > Visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~gbhs/mailinglist/mailinglist.html > > > > > > ==== GERMAN-BOHEMIAN Mailing List ==== > > Would you like to see messages that were posted before you joined the > > list? > > Visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~gbhs/mailinglist.html and request an > > archive. > > > > > ==== GERMAN-BOHEMIAN Mailing List ==== > Would you like to see messages that were posted before you joined the list? > Visit http://www.rootsweb.com/~gbhs/mailinglist.html and request an archive. >