Ilona Cole, Guest Author, Story 191

Advent Season and Heilige Nacht (Holy Night)

Right after Thanks Giving here in the United States, Europe starts the  season of Advent and preparations for Christmas festivities go on full swing. Goodies for the Advent Sundays are making their appearance and with that the good smells coming from the kitchen and for afternoon tea time wonders appear along with beautiful wreath decorated and with four big candles in the center of the dining and kitchen tables. Each Sunday one candle is lit. There are four Sundays during Advent. The front door also gets beautiful decorations and of course the large foyer is beautifully dressed in Christmas attire. A gorgeous Chinese vessel holds three white Poinsettias decorating the Grand Piano and the center table holding a Lalique vessel with white French tulips and some evergreens.

Growing up with these activities and holiday transformations we enjoyed very much because of what followed in just a few weeks: Heilige Nacht (Holy Night), Jesus’ Birthday when the beautiful tall Noble Fir will appear to be decorated and beautify the living room.

The main attraction for my brother, Wolfgang, my sister, Friedl and me was always our “grocery store” while we were growing up. It had a counter, behind was shelving with little drawers. It was always freshly painted and filled with eatable things, food made from Marzipan. Miniature loaves of bread, miniature Broetchen (little rolls). On the counter was a scale and little paper bags to pack up what our friends had chosen. One of us would stand behind the counter to serve our friends, our customers. Hopeful we have learned over time, not to eat all of what we had in little paper bags at once or our tummies would feel bad. But one forgets by next Christmas and repeat it again. The rule that followed, we could not eat any of it, until we had our supper.

The fun part of it was really not the eating, it was the friends who would love to pick the marzipan confections to take home and share. Christmas eve our mama, our father, Mrs. Kramer and Mrs. Nietsche would be our customers in our little store. The big surprise was for us, they paid!