Hello everyone, These personal Christmas memories that listmembers are sending in are just begging for a website where they can be preserved for the future. If I was not so busy in updating so many of my own websites, I would surely consider setting up such a site. Is there anyone out there who has the interest and time for such an endeavor? Now's your chance! :) Mary Ann Date sent: Sat, 2 Dec 2000 22:14:50 EST From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: [GERMAN-LIFE] Christmas Traditions > Hi Ingrid and Listers, > > We too still keep to the special traditions brought to the USA and our > church by our German ancestors. We have a beautiful brass candle stand on > our church upon which is twined with greenery and 3 purple candles and 1 > pink rose candle for the 4 Sundays of advent and one very large white > Christ candle that is lit on Christmas Eve. Each Sunday, which we will > begin tomorrow, is the lighting of a candle. Then each following Sunday > the first candle will be lit again, until all 3 purple ones and the pink > rose one and the white candle are lit on Christmas Eve. In our homes we > have one single electric candle in each of our windows and a set of 5 > candles we lights each week in our front window. > > Even though I am now 52 years of age, we still have an advent calendar in > our home and each night we open one of the little windows. I was > fortunate to travel to Germany in the summer of 1999 on a tour group with > my church and at that time I found several lovely advent calendars that I > can use for the next few years. > > We have also begun our Christmas baking. This morning my mother stirred > up our Lebkuchen. Tomorrow I will stir up, roll out, cut and let dry > overnight, our Springerele. I will be using 5 wooden Springerele molds > that have been in our family for 100 years now. Each year these molds are > lovingly used. They are now one of my most prized possessions. Christmas > in our home would not be complete without dozens of Lebkucken, > Springerele, Pfefferneuse, Spritz, Cinnamon Stars, and numerous other > cookies, all made by my mom and me. My grandmother and her sister, my > great aunt, taught me how to make Springerele when I was about 5 years > old, and I have made them every year since. > > I look forward to more great stories. > > Karen JENTER > Michigan > USA > > ______________________________

As a child in the US, we had the kind of icicles you are talking about. Heavy and easily broken if pulled to hard. We tried to press them out straight and saved them each year. That part seems the same. I think the heavy ones went off the market during WWII. The metal was used for the war effort. I wonder if they weren't made out of tin foil???? That was saved for the war effort. Along with chewing gum wrappers. The wrapper back then had some foil. Peg from Indiana ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike and Dorie Brennecke" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2000 8:17 AM Subject: Re: [GERMAN-LIFE] Real Candles > We always had icicles from Germany to put on our tree--silvery strands about > a foot long that Mom always draped in little clumps so they really looked > like icicles. The ones in the US are made of plastic and just don't have > the same effect because they aren't heavy enough. The German ones we had > were really metal, kind of like foil, and much heavier so they hung really > straight. It turned out they were leaded, and I guess they stopped making > them because the lead was dangerous or something. But we loved them, and > when we couldn't get them anymore, Mom used the ones we had over and over > until they just fell apart! Dorie > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Heinz L. Zulauf <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 7:39 AM > Subject: Re: [GERMAN-LIFE] Real Candles > > > > <<Heinz you live in Germany, let us know what you do on Christmas evening, > > or a story what come to mind, from other Christmas evenings.>> > > > > Katharina, > > > > your description is as good as it can be. It's so typical that there isn't > > very much to add. > > The procedure you describe used to be the same when I was a child (must be > > centuries ago). The husband and the children used to sit around somewhere > in > > the bedroom (or any other room a family might have had) and the wife used > to > > prepare the tree in the living room. We didn't have candies on the tree > (may > > be we couldn't afford it), and some the ornaments must have been at least > > one hundred years old. Electric candles just didn't exist but we had a lot > > of silvery lametta (angels' hair) and wooden ornaments. We used to go to > the > > Christmas service at around 5 p.m. > > By the way, the whole procedure is still the same, noew as our children > have > > left and live in their own homes. My wife and I still have a smallish > > Christmas tree with real candles and lametta and my sons come to see us in > > the afternoon and celebrate Christmas Eve with us. The Christmas Dinner > > habits have changed a bit since money is no longer at short supply. We now > > use to have a Swiss meat fondue instead of "Frankfurter" or "Wiener", but > > other than this most of the traditions have survived. > > Any more questions? > > > > Heinz > > _________________________ > > Heinz L. Zulauf > > Flotowstrasse 9 > > D-64287 Darmstadt > > Germany > > e-mail: [email protected] > > > > Visit my Private Homepage > > "The Classical Music Site" > > http://myweb.vector.ch/zulauf > > _________________________ > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Katharina Hines" <[email protected]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 1:07 PM > > Subject: Re: [GERMAN-LIFE] Real Candles > > > > > > The town I visit last, in Hessen, they had real candles on the Christmas > > tree in church for the Christmas service. > > As a child our church had two very big Christmas trees in the Church. > > Each one had real candles on them. > > There were 3 Christmas services in the evening and one at midnight. > > Before each service all new candle would be placed on the tree. > > > > My family also has real candles on the christmas tree. > > In the States you put a tree up around Thanksgiving. > > In Germany you don't buy the tree till a few days before Christmas. > > As a child , I was told ' stay in your room' from late afternoon till > > Christmas eve, because the Christ-child( Christkind) will come tonight. > > With out you knowing, your parents prepare the Christmas tree > > (Weihnachtsbaum0.The Ornaments varies from one household to an other. > > Ranging from home-made, all-natural and bought ornaments. > > We always had candy on the tree, the candy we could eat off the tree, till > > the tree came down. We would call it "Plündern " > > After sun set we would go the Church service. > > After we came home, we had to wait, till all the candles on the christmas > > tree where lit. Then a little bell would ring, and we could enter the Gute > > Stube (living room). > > The family sings Christmas carols ,read the Christmas story, or read > > Christmas poems. Then the Bescherung (gift opening) got started. > > After that we would eat the dinner. > > Some families eat the dinner before the Bescherung. > > Heinz you live in Germany, let us know what you do on Christmas evening, > > or a story what come to mind, from other Christmas evenings. > > > > Katharina > > > > > > >In Germany our friends don't decorate their tree until Christmas Eve and > > >they > > >do use real candles. Remember they are using beeswax candles which burn > > >very > > >slowly and don't drip much. They also only put about 12 candles on a > tree > > >and someone is in the room at all times when they are lit. Jerilyn > > > > > >Jerilyn Lappin Koskan > > >Cook Co., Illinois > > >[email protected] > > >FTM user > > > > > >BREWER-Daniel Belmont, OH, Northumberland, Indiana and Jefferson, PA > > >DAVIS/DAVIDSON-Marium/Mary b1803 Bucks, PA Mother Rachel Greene > > >DUSATKO-Barbara, Anton late 1800s Butler, NE > > >DYE-William, David, Daniel in Monroe, OH early 1800s. > > >FISHER-Joseph, b abt 1805 OH, last Morgan, OH 1850. Wife Judith Lappin. > > >Children John, Knight, Elizabeth, Thomas, Hannah, Mary, Rachel, Ruth > > >GRAY-Ogden b 1850 Morgan, OH, d Fulton, IL. Children - Ogden, Lafayette, > > >Mary A., Cornelius, Elizabeth, Rachel > > >GREENE-Rachel, b abt 1770, Bucks, PA > > >HANNA-Archibald, d 1793 Westmoreland, PA Children Hugh, William, Hannah, > > >Mary > > >(wed Robert Williams) > > >KIRK-Elizabeth, Quaker, daughter Joseph Kirk/Judith Knight, wed Robert > > >Lappin > > >abt 1790. Chester & Fayette, PA Belmont, OH > > >KOSKAN-Vaclav, b 1850s Czechoslovakia d Butler, NE > > >LAPPIN-PA and OH late 1700s/1800s > > >LEAK/LEEK-MD & Eastern, OH in late 1700s and 1800s > > >MITCHELL-Thomas Mitchell, b 1770s Greene, PA -d Monroe, OH. Daughter > Maria > > >wed William Dye. > > > > > >MONROE-Nicholas Monroe, b PA, died Belmont, OH early 1850s. Children > > >Curtis, > > >William, John, Samuel, Mary (Hendershot), Eleanor (Maring), Rebecca > > >(Murphy), > > >Miller, George, Richard. > > >MONTGOMERY-Daniel, d 1842 Vinton, OH Family to Wayne, IL Wife Alice > Lappin, > > >Children William, Mariah, John, Elizabeth, Rachel, Letticia, Ruth, > Euphemia > > >OATES-Sarah Elizabeth born Lewis, WV, adopted Samuel McCluster - to > > >Decatur, > > >KS Parents supposedly Elizabeth Puffenbarger/Benjamin Oates > > >SLUSHER-Frederick, b PA, lived Monroe, OH, d Wayne, IL > > >SMITH-Aaron 1755/Anna Foster Bucks, PA Children John, Amos, Hannah, > Samuel, > > >Charles, Mary > > >STARBUCKS-John and Ann Lappin of Belmont, OH > > >STARKEY - b 1810 PA, wed Belmont, OH > > >TODD - Wm. & Rachel Lappin, d late 1800s Morgan, OH > > >WADSWORTH-Alcinda, Martha, Wm., Rachel, Emily, Ruth b Belmont, OH > > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________ > > _________ > > Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : > http://explorer.msn.com > > > >

Does anyone know where you can get the leaded tinsel? I'd love to get some! Dorie ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 11:52 AM Subject: [GERMAN-LIFE] Christmas Traditions > Hi list: > When I arrived in NY at JFK in 1964 around Christmas time, I missed my > holidays right away. So I quickly shopped for tree candle holders in the > German section at 86th St. To this day I use them and live candles every year > and put on a German Heilig Abend at my house, pretty much according to my > tradition. No tree until Xmas Eve. I do the 4 weeks advent wreath routine > first, then on the 4th of advent get the tree, cut our own or purchase it. > Still use German tinsel, the leaded kind, send over by my sister. In my > community in Kingston, a Lutheran Church has a German service. We also have > many stores selling German goodies including advent calendars, Christ > Stollen, Lebkuchen, Pfeffernuesse, etc. The tree remains up until Jan. 6th, > Holy Three Kings. > In my house back in Germany my father was the tree decorator, later the > oldest (me) was permitted to participate also. > My sister in Hessen keeps the same routine, no one sees the tree until it's > done and the Bescherung (gift-giving) starts on Xmas Eve (Holy-Eve) The tree > is part of the surprise. > My adult children and I enjoy it this way, and are looking forward to it, we > try to keep the commercial stuff out as much as is possible. I must admit > though, being able to order gifts over the Internet is a very convenient way. > To all of you, a happy Advent time. > Regards, > Ingrid in Kingston. > > > > IGF

We always had icicles from Germany to put on our tree--silvery strands about a foot long that Mom always draped in little clumps so they really looked like icicles. The ones in the US are made of plastic and just don't have the same effect because they aren't heavy enough. The German ones we had were really metal, kind of like foil, and much heavier so they hung really straight. It turned out they were leaded, and I guess they stopped making them because the lead was dangerous or something. But we loved them, and when we couldn't get them anymore, Mom used the ones we had over and over until they just fell apart! Dorie ----- Original Message ----- From: Heinz L. Zulauf <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 7:39 AM Subject: Re: [GERMAN-LIFE] Real Candles > <<Heinz you live in Germany, let us know what you do on Christmas evening, > or a story what come to mind, from other Christmas evenings.>> > > Katharina, > > your description is as good as it can be. It's so typical that there isn't > very much to add. > The procedure you describe used to be the same when I was a child (must be > centuries ago). The husband and the children used to sit around somewhere in > the bedroom (or any other room a family might have had) and the wife used to > prepare the tree in the living room. We didn't have candies on the tree (may > be we couldn't afford it), and some the ornaments must have been at least > one hundred years old. Electric candles just didn't exist but we had a lot > of silvery lametta (angels' hair) and wooden ornaments. We used to go to the > Christmas service at around 5 p.m. > By the way, the whole procedure is still the same, noew as our children have > left and live in their own homes. My wife and I still have a smallish > Christmas tree with real candles and lametta and my sons come to see us in > the afternoon and celebrate Christmas Eve with us. The Christmas Dinner > habits have changed a bit since money is no longer at short supply. We now > use to have a Swiss meat fondue instead of "Frankfurter" or "Wiener", but > other than this most of the traditions have survived. > Any more questions? > > Heinz > _________________________ > Heinz L. Zulauf > Flotowstrasse 9 > D-64287 Darmstadt > Germany > e-mail: [email protected] > > Visit my Private Homepage > "The Classical Music Site" > http://myweb.vector.ch/zulauf > _________________________ > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Katharina Hines" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 1:07 PM > Subject: Re: [GERMAN-LIFE] Real Candles > > > The town I visit last, in Hessen, they had real candles on the Christmas > tree in church for the Christmas service. > As a child our church had two very big Christmas trees in the Church. > Each one had real candles on them. > There were 3 Christmas services in the evening and one at midnight. > Before each service all new candle would be placed on the tree. > > My family also has real candles on the christmas tree. > In the States you put a tree up around Thanksgiving. > In Germany you don't buy the tree till a few days before Christmas. > As a child , I was told ' stay in your room' from late afternoon till > Christmas eve, because the Christ-child( Christkind) will come tonight. > With out you knowing, your parents prepare the Christmas tree > (Weihnachtsbaum0.The Ornaments varies from one household to an other. > Ranging from home-made, all-natural and bought ornaments. > We always had candy on the tree, the candy we could eat off the tree, till > the tree came down. We would call it "Plündern " > After sun set we would go the Church service. > After we came home, we had to wait, till all the candles on the christmas > tree where lit. Then a little bell would ring, and we could enter the Gute > Stube (living room). > The family sings Christmas carols ,read the Christmas story, or read > Christmas poems. Then the Bescherung (gift opening) got started. > After that we would eat the dinner. > Some families eat the dinner before the Bescherung. > Heinz you live in Germany, let us know what you do on Christmas evening, > or a story what come to mind, from other Christmas evenings. > > Katharina > > > >In Germany our friends don't decorate their tree until Christmas Eve and > >they > >do use real candles. Remember they are using beeswax candles which burn > >very > >slowly and don't drip much. They also only put about 12 candles on a tree > >and someone is in the room at all times when they are lit. Jerilyn > > > >Jerilyn Lappin Koskan > >Cook Co., Illinois > >[email protected] > >FTM user > > > >BREWER-Daniel Belmont, OH, Northumberland, Indiana and Jefferson, PA > >DAVIS/DAVIDSON-Marium/Mary b1803 Bucks, PA Mother Rachel Greene > >DUSATKO-Barbara, Anton late 1800s Butler, NE > >DYE-William, David, Daniel in Monroe, OH early 1800s. > >FISHER-Joseph, b abt 1805 OH, last Morgan, OH 1850. Wife Judith Lappin. > >Children John, Knight, Elizabeth, Thomas, Hannah, Mary, Rachel, Ruth > >GRAY-Ogden b 1850 Morgan, OH, d Fulton, IL. Children - Ogden, Lafayette, > >Mary A., Cornelius, Elizabeth, Rachel > >GREENE-Rachel, b abt 1770, Bucks, PA > >HANNA-Archibald, d 1793 Westmoreland, PA Children Hugh, William, Hannah, > >Mary > >(wed Robert Williams) > >KIRK-Elizabeth, Quaker, daughter Joseph Kirk/Judith Knight, wed Robert > >Lappin > >abt 1790. Chester & Fayette, PA Belmont, OH > >KOSKAN-Vaclav, b 1850s Czechoslovakia d Butler, NE > >LAPPIN-PA and OH late 1700s/1800s > >LEAK/LEEK-MD & Eastern, OH in late 1700s and 1800s > >MITCHELL-Thomas Mitchell, b 1770s Greene, PA -d Monroe, OH. Daughter Maria > >wed William Dye. > > > >MONROE-Nicholas Monroe, b PA, died Belmont, OH early 1850s. Children > >Curtis, > >William, John, Samuel, Mary (Hendershot), Eleanor (Maring), Rebecca > >(Murphy), > >Miller, George, Richard. > >MONTGOMERY-Daniel, d 1842 Vinton, OH Family to Wayne, IL Wife Alice Lappin, > >Children William, Mariah, John, Elizabeth, Rachel, Letticia, Ruth, Euphemia > >OATES-Sarah Elizabeth born Lewis, WV, adopted Samuel McCluster - to > >Decatur, > >KS Parents supposedly Elizabeth Puffenbarger/Benjamin Oates > >SLUSHER-Frederick, b PA, lived Monroe, OH, d Wayne, IL > >SMITH-Aaron 1755/Anna Foster Bucks, PA Children John, Amos, Hannah, Samuel, > >Charles, Mary > >STARBUCKS-John and Ann Lappin of Belmont, OH > >STARKEY - b 1810 PA, wed Belmont, OH > >TODD - Wm. & Rachel Lappin, d late 1800s Morgan, OH > >WADSWORTH-Alcinda, Martha, Wm., Rachel, Emily, Ruth b Belmont, OH > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________ > _________ > Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com > >

From: [email protected] > >Hi Ingrid and Listers, In our homes we have one single >electric candle in each of our windows and a set of 5 candles we lights >each >week in our front window. My grandmother had one real candle in the window when I was a little girl. That was in the 1940 and 1950. The reason she had the candle in the window. That was a light for a son, who was missing in WWII to find his way home. You could walk a round town, some people even had more then one candle in the window, because they had more then one son, who was missing in WWII. This candles where all the hope the people had , that the loved one my come home. We lived near Friedland Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), where the first prisoners of war from Russia came thru. My mother helped to hand out food and drinks to the Prisoners of WWII in Friedland. Every day my grandmother would ask her if she found a person, who came maybe from the same prison camp, where her son was keep. Later she found out he died in the prison camp in Russia. Then the candle disappeared from the window seal. Katharina _____________________________________________________________________________________ Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com

Where can one find the molds? Can we have the recipes? Raynona Gunther Bohrer Searching for Gunther/ Ginter/ Ginther/ Guenther Bissing, Koerner, Knoll, Sabelfield and Katharinenstadt Russia

In a message dated 12/2/00 10:04:09 AM US Mountain Standard Time, [email protected] writes: > OK, first you need a "fondue" equipment (don't know whether it's known in > For those of us willing to admit it -- IN the 60's this was HOT to do fondue! One of my kids discovered a "NEW" restraurant in Phoenix Arizone which does this, she thought she'd discovered something really NEW! SORRY KID we had fondue parties when I was your age!!! We didn't DO the meat all that much but know that it's essentially frying the meat in hot oil then you'd dip the fried meats in sauces. (As I recall there were different 'friers' for MEAT fondue as the CHEESE, and chocolate ones were over candles. I suspect this fell out of favor when we noticed that dining on cheeses, chocolates and FRIED MEAT wasn't all that HEART Healthy! -- marge

In a message dated 12/1/00 3:28:08 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [email protected] writes: > They also only put about 12 candles on a tree > and someone is in the room at all times when they are lit. OLD French families did the same thing .. I remember this one and suspect you could FRY a bunch of OLD FRENCH people if you tried this one! MAN, we burn down enough people without trying this don't you think??? -- Marge

Karen, Your traditions sound very similar -- and, you make it sound so great you may have many from the list as visitors. For more than ten years I have been looking for a true German Springerele recipe. Do you share recipes, and if so it would certainly be special for our family. Know your family will have a great holiday season. Donna Ehlers Walker

There is an interesting and educational Advent Calendar at: http://www.germany-info.org/xmas and select Advent Calendar. Fröhe Weihnachtseit Margaret

We saw a church in Schwäbish Hall, Germany, with the skulls in the basement. Also, we several places in Germany and Austria where the skeletons of martyrs were displayed with clothing and jewelry on them in glass crypts under altars. Suzanne Hill

Hi Ingrid and Listers, We too still keep to the special traditions brought to the USA and our church by our German ancestors. We have a beautiful brass candle stand on our church upon which is twined with greenery and 3 purple candles and 1 pink rose candle for the 4 Sundays of advent and one very large white Christ candle that is lit on Christmas Eve. Each Sunday, which we will begin tomorrow, is the lighting of a candle. Then each following Sunday the first candle will be lit again, until all 3 purple ones and the pink rose one and the white candle are lit on Christmas Eve. In our homes we have one single electric candle in each of our windows and a set of 5 candles we lights each week in our front window. Even though I am now 52 years of age, we still have an advent calendar in our home and each night we open one of the little windows. I was fortunate to travel to Germany in the summer of 1999 on a tour group with my church and at that time I found several lovely advent calendars that I can use for the next few years. We have also begun our Christmas baking. This morning my mother stirred up our Lebkuchen. Tomorrow I will stir up, roll out, cut and let dry overnight, our Springerele. I will be using 5 wooden Springerele molds that have been in our family for 100 years now. Each year these molds are lovingly used. They are now one of my most prized possessions. Christmas in our home would not be complete without dozens of Lebkucken, Springerele, Pfefferneuse, Spritz, Cinnamon Stars, and numerous other cookies, all made by my mom and me. My grandmother and her sister, my great aunt, taught me how to make Springerele when I was about 5 years old, and I have made them every year since. I look forward to more great stories. Karen JENTER Michigan USA

Several years ago we had a German foreign exchange student. At Christmas time her parents very thoughtfully sent us several packages of ornaments and German chocolates for Christmas along with Christmas music in German naturally. Some of the ornaments were made from straw in the shapes men and stars. Other ornaments were made from felt and looked like they were braided, made in the shape of hearts. Also included was a small braided rope in red with bells. What amazed me was the tiny mushrooms that you twist onto the end of your tree limbs. What significance is this? They were from Berlin, does this have to do with it? I am of German heritage also, and had never heard of this side of it. I have to admit tho, I had more of the German foods than folklore as my great grandmother, who was blind and going deaf, only spoke German and I didn't understand her at all. I know she knew English and had spoken it, but in her old age(she was 98) she didn't care and just lived in German. My grandmother and father would not tell me what she was saying.....I assume because she was mad at the Lord because she didn't want to die and she was cussing him out. Anyhow, does someone know what the mushrooms mean? Thanks, Marijean [email protected] May the dragon of life only roast your hot-dogs and never burn your buns

Another thing I miss from the past - leaded tinsel. We used it year after year. These stories of Christmas make me remember the Christmas eves at my great gramma's house here in WI. The tree was in the front room where we kids were not allowed the rest of the year. Even had to walk around the house to get to the front porch to sit in the swing. I believe we ate first, what we ate I don't remember, I was too small, but I do remember the cookies. I have no names for them but do have the recipe for a nut one. Then we went into the front room (those of us who could fit in as it was a small room and a big family - 4 generations) and sat around talking and singing to the player piano. And then we opened gifts. We grandchildren each got a rolled up dollar bill tied with ribbon and were thrilled! I remember the old bubble lights and the angel hair on the tree. I can see now that there were more German touches in the ways we celebrated than I ever knew before. It's so neat reading all the messages. > Lita I have gone to find myself. If I get back before I return, please ask me to wait! See some of my accomplishments! <A HREF="http://pages.ivillage.com/pux4/">Click here: Pux's Page</A> http://pages.ivillage.com/pux4/ <A HREF="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=89621">My PhotoPoint Album</A> http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=89621

<<What is a Swiss meat fondue?>> What a question for a man <vbg> OK, first you need a "fondue" equipment (don't know whether it's known in the States). In fact it's a big metal pot with an open fire below and long forks with a wooden upper end.. Give vegetable oil into the pot and heat until it's very hot. Take small pieces of good beef (or pork) meat, fix with the fork and put into the hot oil. Leave it until it's cooked to your liking. Take out and eat with sauces, pickles, fruit, white bread and whatever you like. A good red wine is ideal to go with. A feast. By the way, the "original" Swiss fondue is a (very different) cheese fondue. _________________________ Heinz L. Zulauf Flotowstrasse 9 D-64287 Darmstadt Germany e-mail: [email protected] Visit my Private Homepage "The Classical Music Site" http://myweb.vector.ch/zulauf _________________________ ----- Original Message ----- From: "joy adrian" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 5:43 PM Subject: Re: [GERMAN-LIFE] Real Candles > > The Christmas Dinner > > habits have changed a bit since money is no longer at short supply. We now > > use to have a Swiss meat fondue instead of "Frankfurter" or "Wiener", but > > other than this most of the traditions have survived. > > Any more questions? > > > > Heinz, > > What is a Swiss meat fondue? > > Joy > >

The translation would be: "God have mercy upon us" _________________________ Heinz L. Zulauf Flotowstrasse 9 D-64287 Darmstadt Germany e-mail: [email protected] Visit my Private Homepage "The Classical Music Site" http://myweb.vector.ch/zulauf _________________________ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Elsa Kahler" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 5:16 PM Subject: Re: [GERMAN-LIFE] Translation Help Please > The closest that I could find re translation for genadig is "gnadig" (umlaut over > the a) meaning merciful or kind. The stem word is the noun "gnade" which means > grace, favour, pardon, clemency, mercy, kindness. > > Elsa Kahler > > [email protected] wrote: > > > This was played as the Offertory at my Dad's church last weekend. I can > > translate all but one word so it doesn't make any sense to me. Help, please. > > > > "Es woll uns Gott genadig sein" by J.C. Bach > > > > Thanks in advance. Linda > > [email protected] > > >

In reference to my previous posting ......... "Just a thought ... if anyones interested, I could put some photos of German / Austrian grave sites I took while I was there in the late 70's. Let me know .. and if there's enough interest, I'll set it up" ...... go here to see the three photos ...... http://angelfire.com/wa2/testbase ...... I hope this is what you were looking for Thanks Dick S.

<<Heinz you live in Germany, let us know what you do on Christmas evening, or a story what come to mind, from other Christmas evenings.>> Katharina, your description is as good as it can be. It's so typical that there isn't very much to add. The procedure you describe used to be the same when I was a child (must be centuries ago). The husband and the children used to sit around somewhere in the bedroom (or any other room a family might have had) and the wife used to prepare the tree in the living room. We didn't have candies on the tree (may be we couldn't afford it), and some the ornaments must have been at least one hundred years old. Electric candles just didn't exist but we had a lot of silvery lametta (angels' hair) and wooden ornaments. We used to go to the Christmas service at around 5 p.m. By the way, the whole procedure is still the same, noew as our children have left and live in their own homes. My wife and I still have a smallish Christmas tree with real candles and lametta and my sons come to see us in the afternoon and celebrate Christmas Eve with us. The Christmas Dinner habits have changed a bit since money is no longer at short supply. We now use to have a Swiss meat fondue instead of "Frankfurter" or "Wiener", but other than this most of the traditions have survived. Any more questions? Heinz _________________________ Heinz L. Zulauf Flotowstrasse 9 D-64287 Darmstadt Germany e-mail: [email protected] Visit my Private Homepage "The Classical Music Site" http://myweb.vector.ch/zulauf _________________________ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Katharina Hines" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 1:07 PM Subject: Re: [GERMAN-LIFE] Real Candles The town I visit last, in Hessen, they had real candles on the Christmas tree in church for the Christmas service. As a child our church had two very big Christmas trees in the Church. Each one had real candles on them. There were 3 Christmas services in the evening and one at midnight. Before each service all new candle would be placed on the tree. My family also has real candles on the christmas tree. In the States you put a tree up around Thanksgiving. In Germany you don't buy the tree till a few days before Christmas. As a child , I was told ' stay in your room' from late afternoon till Christmas eve, because the Christ-child( Christkind) will come tonight. With out you knowing, your parents prepare the Christmas tree (Weihnachtsbaum0.The Ornaments varies from one household to an other. Ranging from home-made, all-natural and bought ornaments. We always had candy on the tree, the candy we could eat off the tree, till the tree came down. We would call it "Plündern " After sun set we would go the Church service. After we came home, we had to wait, till all the candles on the christmas tree where lit. Then a little bell would ring, and we could enter the Gute Stube (living room). The family sings Christmas carols ,read the Christmas story, or read Christmas poems. Then the Bescherung (gift opening) got started. After that we would eat the dinner. Some families eat the dinner before the Bescherung. Heinz you live in Germany, let us know what you do on Christmas evening, or a story what come to mind, from other Christmas evenings. Katharina >In Germany our friends don't decorate their tree until Christmas Eve and >they >do use real candles. Remember they are using beeswax candles which burn >very >slowly and don't drip much. They also only put about 12 candles on a tree >and someone is in the room at all times when they are lit. Jerilyn > >Jerilyn Lappin Koskan >Cook Co., Illinois >[email protected] >FTM user > >BREWER-Daniel Belmont, OH, Northumberland, Indiana and Jefferson, PA >DAVIS/DAVIDSON-Marium/Mary b1803 Bucks, PA Mother Rachel Greene >DUSATKO-Barbara, Anton late 1800s Butler, NE >DYE-William, David, Daniel in Monroe, OH early 1800s. >FISHER-Joseph, b abt 1805 OH, last Morgan, OH 1850. Wife Judith Lappin. >Children John, Knight, Elizabeth, Thomas, Hannah, Mary, Rachel, Ruth >GRAY-Ogden b 1850 Morgan, OH, d Fulton, IL. Children - Ogden, Lafayette, >Mary A., Cornelius, Elizabeth, Rachel >GREENE-Rachel, b abt 1770, Bucks, PA >HANNA-Archibald, d 1793 Westmoreland, PA Children Hugh, William, Hannah, >Mary >(wed Robert Williams) >KIRK-Elizabeth, Quaker, daughter Joseph Kirk/Judith Knight, wed Robert >Lappin >abt 1790. Chester & Fayette, PA Belmont, OH >KOSKAN-Vaclav, b 1850s Czechoslovakia d Butler, NE >LAPPIN-PA and OH late 1700s/1800s >LEAK/LEEK-MD & Eastern, OH in late 1700s and 1800s >MITCHELL-Thomas Mitchell, b 1770s Greene, PA -d Monroe, OH. Daughter Maria >wed William Dye. > >MONROE-Nicholas Monroe, b PA, died Belmont, OH early 1850s. Children >Curtis, >William, John, Samuel, Mary (Hendershot), Eleanor (Maring), Rebecca >(Murphy), >Miller, George, Richard. >MONTGOMERY-Daniel, d 1842 Vinton, OH Family to Wayne, IL Wife Alice Lappin, >Children William, Mariah, John, Elizabeth, Rachel, Letticia, Ruth, Euphemia >OATES-Sarah Elizabeth born Lewis, WV, adopted Samuel McCluster - to >Decatur, >KS Parents supposedly Elizabeth Puffenbarger/Benjamin Oates >SLUSHER-Frederick, b PA, lived Monroe, OH, d Wayne, IL >SMITH-Aaron 1755/Anna Foster Bucks, PA Children John, Amos, Hannah, Samuel, >Charles, Mary >STARBUCKS-John and Ann Lappin of Belmont, OH >STARKEY - b 1810 PA, wed Belmont, OH >TODD - Wm. & Rachel Lappin, d late 1800s Morgan, OH >WADSWORTH-Alcinda, Martha, Wm., Rachel, Emily, Ruth b Belmont, OH > ____________________________________________________________________________ _________ Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com

Re: Raking around the graves. We travel a lot in Germany relative to our ancestors, thus get into a lot of German graveyards. We're always careful to rake around the gravewite after we've walked around it. Somehow it just seems that it's the thing to do !! Dave Ross Denver

The town I visit last, in Hessen, they had real candles on the Christmas tree in church for the Christmas service. As a child our church had two very big Christmas trees in the Church. Each one had real candles on them. There were 3 Christmas services in the evening and one at midnight. Before each service all new candle would be placed on the tree. My family also has real candles on the christmas tree. In the States you put a tree up around Thanksgiving. In Germany you don't buy the tree till a few days before Christmas. As a child , I was told ' stay in your room' from late afternoon till Christmas eve, because the Christ-child( Christkind) will come tonight. With out you knowing, your parents prepare the Christmas tree (Weihnachtsbaum0.The Ornaments varies from one household to an other. Ranging from home-made, all-natural and bought ornaments. We always had candy on the tree, the candy we could eat off the tree, till the tree came down. We would call it "Plündern " After sun set we would go the Church service. After we came home, we had to wait, till all the candles on the christmas tree where lit. Then a little bell would ring, and we could enter the Gute Stube (living room). The family sings Christmas carols ,read the Christmas story, or read Christmas poems. Then the Bescherung (gift opening) got started. After that we would eat the dinner. Some families eat the dinner before the Bescherung. Heinz you live in Germany, let us know what you do on Christmas evening, or a story what come to mind, from other Christmas evenings. Katharina >In Germany our friends don't decorate their tree until Christmas Eve and >they >do use real candles. Remember they are using beeswax candles which burn >very >slowly and don't drip much. They also only put about 12 candles on a tree >and someone is in the room at all times when they are lit. Jerilyn > >Jerilyn Lappin Koskan >Cook Co., Illinois >[email protected] >FTM user > >BREWER-Daniel Belmont, OH, Northumberland, Indiana and Jefferson, PA >DAVIS/DAVIDSON-Marium/Mary b1803 Bucks, PA Mother Rachel Greene >DUSATKO-Barbara, Anton late 1800s Butler, NE >DYE-William, David, Daniel in Monroe, OH early 1800s. >FISHER-Joseph, b abt 1805 OH, last Morgan, OH 1850. Wife Judith Lappin. >Children John, Knight, Elizabeth, Thomas, Hannah, Mary, Rachel, Ruth >GRAY-Ogden b 1850 Morgan, OH, d Fulton, IL. Children - Ogden, Lafayette, >Mary A., Cornelius, Elizabeth, Rachel >GREENE-Rachel, b abt 1770, Bucks, PA >HANNA-Archibald, d 1793 Westmoreland, PA Children Hugh, William, Hannah, >Mary >(wed Robert Williams) >KIRK-Elizabeth, Quaker, daughter Joseph Kirk/Judith Knight, wed Robert >Lappin >abt 1790. Chester & Fayette, PA Belmont, OH >KOSKAN-Vaclav, b 1850s Czechoslovakia d Butler, NE >LAPPIN-PA and OH late 1700s/1800s >LEAK/LEEK-MD & Eastern, OH in late 1700s and 1800s >MITCHELL-Thomas Mitchell, b 1770s Greene, PA -d Monroe, OH. Daughter Maria >wed William Dye. > >MONROE-Nicholas Monroe, b PA, died Belmont, OH early 1850s. Children >Curtis, >William, John, Samuel, Mary (Hendershot), Eleanor (Maring), Rebecca >(Murphy), >Miller, George, Richard. >MONTGOMERY-Daniel, d 1842 Vinton, OH Family to Wayne, IL Wife Alice Lappin, >Children William, Mariah, John, Elizabeth, Rachel, Letticia, Ruth, Euphemia >OATES-Sarah Elizabeth born Lewis, WV, adopted Samuel McCluster - to >Decatur, >KS Parents supposedly Elizabeth Puffenbarger/Benjamin Oates >SLUSHER-Frederick, b PA, lived Monroe, OH, d Wayne, IL >SMITH-Aaron 1755/Anna Foster Bucks, PA Children John, Amos, Hannah, Samuel, >Charles, Mary >STARBUCKS-John and Ann Lappin of Belmont, OH >STARKEY - b 1810 PA, wed Belmont, OH >TODD - Wm. & Rachel Lappin, d late 1800s Morgan, OH >WADSWORTH-Alcinda, Martha, Wm., Rachel, Emily, Ruth b Belmont, OH > _____________________________________________________________________________________ Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com