Advent

Traditional window decor aus der Erzgebirge

Goofballs decorating with a ton of tinsel

Bringing home the tree by Strassenbahn

At the Weihnachtsmarkt

Nikolaus came to visit on 6 December!

Baking SWEDISH cut out cookies (the dough was given to us by our Pastor's wife who is born and raised in Sweden!)
Our home made Advent paper-chain calendar. Chocolate pieces and bible reading for the day along with a craft or song
Louisa's school sang at the opening of the Christmas market! She's in the front row in the middle!
Stollen ! And the traditional " Pyramide"
View from our Christmas market downtown....




Advent in Deutschland is quite the celebrated time of year. It's the time of year when the Chrismtas markets open, the gluwein and glog appears, the Advent calendars are sold by millions, the "echte Erzgebirge" wood carved Christmas decorations are displayed. I find it VERY interesting as in the States Advent is purely a spiritual celebration as we prepare for the coming of the Newborn King! I doubt that EVERY christian family has an advent wreath in their own home. However, here Advent wreaths are sold in huge variety and lit in each home to mark another week closer to the opening of all those presents, I guess. Always the mixture of secular and spiritual.........this year I've struggled as a parent to know how to HANDLE that with the kids. Sometimes the blessing of so many world experiences and seeing how others celebrate confuses how WE are going to do it in our family too. I experienced growing up with Santa bringing the presents and we LOVED IT and it never seemed to confuse my Joy that Jesus was the reason for the Season. The Christmas program at church was the BIG event! Indonesia and Africa lacked so much of what I KNEW as Christmas that it was difficult for me but our kids knew that RAIN and thunder and high humidity felt like "christmas weather" and we had very little by means of commercialism and it was just fine ( I was the one running out to purchase over priced imported chocolates from England or South Africa to make it FEEL like Christmas.......ugh). Last year we drove the insane 1,500 some miles and two hotels one way just to be " HOME for Christmas" as I hadn't done so in 11 years and for once we were on at least the same continent. That was nuts but worth the feeling of walking in my parents front door to all the long missed familiar comfort!
THIS YEAR I feel we're part of a tiny conservative church which strives to stay humble amidst all the secularism . It's refreshing and yet brings me back to ..........so how do the WE, the Felgenhauers celebrate? What are OUR traditions? In a few days my niece and nephew arrive from the USA and we are HUGELY excited. So this year we'll attend the worship services here in Zwickau and "zwishendurch" ( in between) we'll dash out to see some GERMANY sights with our guests! Finally, that our children KNOW and find JOY in the birth of our SAVIOUR from SIN is the greatest tradition ! One we'll keep passing on no matter what other customs we take part in!