The season of seasons has come once again. I love Christmas. I really think it's the best time of the year, except...I tend to get homesick during Christmas time. I have thought about why that would be. Is it that I miss those awesome sausages we usually have for Christmas Eve Dinner? Is it my family? The real tree with real candles we put up? Hanging out in pajamas all day, and eating yummy left-overs on the 25th? The cookies, chocolates and presents? I don't know. But, I feel that Germany's Christmas traditions and general Christmas 'spirit' has something of a more reflective and solemn mood about it that I just love. I love our German Christmas songs, and how deeply reverent they feel in regards to the topic they sing about. So, I wanted to post some pictures and make a list of things I love about Christmas and write about the things I noticed that bother me. First what I love:
- I love listening to Christmas music
- I loved decorating my wreath
- I loved putting out all the few decorations I have
- I love the Christmas lights inside and outside, the world alight
- I love Advents singing - just getting together and singing about Christ or also Christmas caroling
- I love how deeply I feel the spirit of Christ during all of the Christmas stuff
- I love coming home in the dark to a warm home and hot drinks, being all cozy at home
- I love the candles
- I love the smell of all pine tree wreath stuff
- I love the look of Holly
- I love giving presents and getting presents
- I loved setting up our African Nativity
- I love the feeling of true hope and light during this season despite all the materialism
- I love to think about Christ
- I love all the chocolates, special Christmas dinner etc.
- I love being with family and good friends, and hearing from people you haven't heard from
- I love that we chose to decorate our ficus tree, and not give in to the spending frenzy and spend money that we didn't really have on a tree
- I love having presents under/around our "tree"
- I love to think that I'll be sitting in front of a real fire place real soon while visiting Henry's parents
Now, on to the things I don't like and/or that make me homesick:
- colored Christmas lights -if it's not white, it ain't right...
- "Happy Holidays" - I'm sick of political correctness over here...if it's the darn Christmas day you get off of work, then don't be so anal about people celebrating this day and wishing it to you to be a happy day - even if you don't celebrate it. It is what it is. Period. I don't give those Kwanzaa nuts a hard time about their celebrations, and wouldn't be mad if someone wished me a happy Kwanzaa, or Hanukah or Ramadan or whatever. Hmphhh...
- icy roads, icy bathrooms in the morning, coldcoldcold
- Pop Christmas music - maybe they could cut the drama in the voice if they understood the drama of the lyrics...
- All the hyper Christmas music - I like it reflective and solemn. Silent Night is my kind of song
- fake wreaths and trees (sorry to all you Americans - I love you despite your fake trees, I promise!!! I just like the real ones better :)
- Tree decoration that isn't red (sorry again, but somehow it really throws off my chi when it's not red. I just don't do well with blue or white or something in the tree)
- Big scary angels on top of the trees. No excuses here. I think they are scary.
- Commercialism/materialism at its worst - why do people feel SOOOOO compelled to buy and give to everyone and their dog. I like to give, too, but it seems like the meaning of giving is getting lost in how we give these days. ARghhhhh...
- thinking of New Years makes me home sick. I never particularly enjoyed my New Year's celebrations over here. I need my fire works, my Krapfen, my Raclette and game playing. Oh, and "Dinner for One". :(
- Oh, and one last time "Happy Holidays". Stupid political correctness.
So, those were some thoughts for the season. But really what I love most is that it makes me think about Christ. I listen to the music, and I sing, and I feel strongly within my heart that the birth of a little boy who became the Savior of the world has truly changed a world that was in darkness to a world now filled with light and hope. I feel it when I sing and listen, and know he really was/is the Son of God. I feel like I'm singing my testimony, and I think that's why I love Christmas music so much, and this season. I love it, and hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTmas.
P.S. Liebe Familie: Hinterlasst mir mal ein paar Kommentare hier. Schliesslich ist ein Hauptgrund warum ich schreibe, dass ihr es lesen koennt!
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7 comments:
I love all you love. It's fun to find out a little more about what you love and why you love it. I never thought of the lights being like the hope and light of Christ in the world. I like that. I love all the presents under the tree. I love giving presents too. I think the hype of materialism is that people start feeling they have to give "meaningful" presents to people they don't know very well or love. I hate that too.
I'm actually beginning to like the "Christmas list" idea. It helps me know that I'm not just wasting my money on useless crap that will be disappointing and will be unappreciated. Maybe I should make a list too.
Henry
I think what really bothers me is the frenzy and pressure of thinking we NEED to give something to everyone, and then it better be something good. So, we give gift cards to everyone and their dogs. We might as well just hand out cash.
I don't mind that people give. I think that's good. But, I feel we have developed some sort of expectation (I better get a present from soandso or else), or people give so they won't look bad. We have lost the ability to be grateful to receive something, if it's not something cool. That's what bothers me.
If it were still free and unconditional and from the heart, giving of things we love, and we love to give, it would be great. but half of the present just seem to be obligations with little thought and effort put into them.
Hallo Franzi,
Ja.. ich glaube in unserer Familie wurden wir dazu erzogen, dass Weihnachten wirklich ein grosses Fest ist. Und damit meine ich nicht nur grossartige Dekoration die Mama überall im Haus verteilt, sondern die Stimmung, die Kekse, die Lieder...
In dem Punkt gleichen wir uns Geschwister glaube ich so ziemlich, dass wir alle gerne Weihnachten erleben und die wunderbaren Dinge die es mit sich bringt.
Ich werde heute abend zu Mama und Papa fliegen und bin schon sehr gespannt ob Mama mich noch für so ein "paar" Kekse backen einteilen wird :) Oder ob sie nicht wieder darüber sich beschwert wie schief doch die Lichter draussen im Garten aufgehängt sind..
Manche Dinge ändern sich einfach nie :)
Wann fahrt ihr denn zu Henrys Eltern? Wäre schön, wenn wir uns auf skype sehen.
Lg
Meike
I loved our Christmas dinner, semmelchen, rotkohl, mashed potatoes, roast and fruit salad.
I loved watching the Muppet Christmas Carol with my Franny.
I loved our $5 tree with my Mom's ornaments and 3 strands of lights.
I loved the fire place and candles and overall cozy feel.
I loved opening presents.
I loved being with my parents and sharing the "Silent Night" story about a World War I Christmas truce.
I loved eating all that good food. (I don't like getting fat, though)
I loved snuggling with Fran and winning so many games, and playing so many games.
I love the memories we now share with my parents.
I loved going to Carytown and buying stuff and shopping with Franny.
I loved our day by ourselves, watching "House" and generally being lazy, then going for a walk.
I loved everything about our little Christmas.
Thanks Franny for making our Christmas so wonderful!
Henry
Hey Franzi, I miss reading your thought provoking blog!! :)
Are you well? Are you alive? :)
Hi Franzi,
your mom and dad came over for FHE tonight and your mom wanted to see your blog site, so I sat and read her all about your Christmas and of course she was pleased that you feel so drawn towards the traditions that she has worked hard to make a part of your family. We did miss you guys at Christmas and I have to say, I myself am quite fond of the Christmas traditions I have come to call my own as well. I wasn't even much of a Wurst fan when I first came to Germany. (Hot dogs used to make me literally puke when I was a kid.) But there is nothing like a real "Braaat" as my aunt calls them in english and I really love the Schlesische Wurstchen, as I said before, we have some in the freezer that I will save till you come and we'll have Christmas eve dinner just for you and Henry in June. I have to say though, I love the angel at the top of the tree heralding the birth of the new born king!! She is not scary and very much a part of MY Christmas traditions from my childhood. So, if you are ever at my house over Christmas - Don't you dare diss the angel!! She's everybit as important as the star shining the way for those seeking Him. It is late (when is it not, when I finally get a minute to type someting like this)so I will not wax longer.
Love, Quinn
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