A Childhood Christmas in Germany

As I have written before, I lived with my grandmother in Germany until I was six years old. I still have vivid memories of those years living with her, especially during the holidays.

Stollen

 Lebkuchen

Anise oookies

Hazelnut cookies

Bars of Swiss Chocolate

Oranges wrapped in tissue

Frost on the windows

New hats and mittens

A freshly cut Christmas tree

Narrow streets with snow piled high

Softly fallen snow twinkling beneath the stars

Fire burning brightly in the wood stove

Sausages wrapped in butcher paper

Crusty Bauern Brot (farmer's rye bread)

My uncle pretending to be St. Nicholas

Yummy Apple Strudel fresh from the oven

Church bell ringing at midnight on Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas!

Frohe Weihnachten!

The little town I was born in.

Christmas Crafts and Cookies

Guess what I've been doing? Yes, baking cookies and making crafts with the grandchildren.

 

 Here are the birdhouses that the children painted and decorated. Of course, I had to help the two-year old. She was more interested in painting herself;)

 

"Rudolph" is nothing more than an inexpensive washcloth and a bar of soap.

I helped the kids make these as little gifts. They loved them!

A Christmas Memory

This time of year always takes me back to childhood memories of Christmases spent in Germany. From ages 11-15 we lived in Landstuhl, Germany in government housing, or quarters as we called them. Landstuhl was on top of a hill and was about as close to a picturesque German town as you would find.

It had woods and forests to explore and an old historic tower to climb. The caretaker sold little drinks like Capri Suns for a few pfennigs. Landstuhl had the largest military hospital in Germany. In fact, many of the military Dads were assigned to the hospital or to local artillery batteries (my father was one of them). At Christmas the post would be lit up from all the Christmas lights and decorations on the balconies. My mother would prepare for the holidays in early December, baking dozens of cookies that she put away. Of course we would sneak a few to sample. A fresh tree was put up with tinsel and old-fashioned bulb lights about a week before Christmas. Oma, my German grandmother, usually made the trip by train, arriving in her fur hat and coat, for once not wearing her everyday apron, bearing gifts for all of us. Christmas music played throughout our house from my parents’ stereo and to this day Jim Reeves Christmas album is one of my all-time favorites. The house was filled with family and friends. The air was full of joy and anticipation. Our Christmas gifts were simple, but plentiful. New pajamas; a sweater from Oma, books for me, games and puzzles, and one year, a guitar that I’d been longing for. We hoped for snow on Christmas day, so all the kids who got sleds would head to the “hill” to go sledding. We didn’t come home until the dim hours of the afternoon, brushing off the snow and ready to thaw out.

Christmas Around the House

I am posting a few more pictures of what I call "Christmas Vignettes". My house is rather small, so I only put up a little tree, but I love to decorate around the house.

I like to frame favorite Christmas cards and place

them around the house.

In the foyer

My $5.00 bargain tree all dressed up

Old Christmas card made into an ornament.

Nativity snowglobes

Tree angel

My favorite doll ornament