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: Österreich-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

"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 Egerländer 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: Österreich-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. >