|
Dec. 7, 2005
Holiday Memories
Up in my cabinet, I have these beautiful little punch glasses which depict a light snow and barren trees in shades of blue and gray. I don't remember where I got them from, but we had never used them until the other night when my daughter and I decided we needed something special to serve our egg nog in.
The clanking of glasses, the custardy smell of the egg nog and the wafting aroma of nutmeg brought back memories of the Christmases I spent in Germany. It is strange to feel twinges of homesickness for a foreign land, but the holiday season always seems to stir those longings within me. I remember ice skating with Johanne on the canal behind her house. While out in the middle, the ice cracked, sending us both anxiously back to shore where her mother met us with steamy cups of Glόhwein (heated mulled wine) and a plate of Spekulatis (ginger almond cookies).
I could not walk through the marketplace witout pausing to admire the decorated shop windows and inhaling the scent of fresh-baked Lebkuchen (gingerbread). As Christmas Eve approached, Weihnachtsmδrkte (Christmas markets) were set up in any community large enough to support one. These were a multi-sensory wonderland. The nip of the wind, the spicy smell (and welcomed warmth) of a glass of Glόhwein (heated mulled wine), the bustle of people moving through the narrow paths between the Hόtte (booths). The booths themselves were a sight to behold...candles of every size, shape and color, the fine woodworking from the Erzgebirge (region in Germany known for its woodworking), towering Kerzenpyramide (candle pyramids) slowly turning with the rising heat of the candleflames, finely woven
cloths and old-fashioned wooden toys . And the air was permeated with
the sweet smell of gebrannte Mandeln (roasted almonds) hanging in the cold.
In Germany, the Weihnachtsmann (Santa) typically brings the tree and all the presents on Christmas Eve. This occurs during the one day each year that the nation remembers its Christian heritage and turns out for Christmas Eve service. Presents are opened that evening. Our Christmas tree in the US was always decorated with a hodge-podge of ornaments collected over the years. But here in Germany, it was a true art. Trees were themed; the colors matched. My host family's tree was draped with flowing pink ribbons which swept the ground and woven with delicate lace ribbon through the branches. If you did not have real candles on the tree, your lights were made to look like candles. None of these endless strings of pinpoint lights, but rows of small electric candles perched delicately on each branch.
Looking out our window here in NE, the scene looks similar to that found on our glasses. Barren trees, soft slopes and five inches of snow which has a way of shifting the fading rays of twilight to the same shades of blue and gray found on my glasses. I just recently discovered my cookbook contains a recipe for Glόhwein (heated mulled wine), so I have a feeling I will soon be reminiscing yet again as the smells of cinnamon and orange mix with that of the heated red wine, and glasses clank to be filled with a seasonal favorite.
|
|
Post A Comment!
Send to a Friend!
|
Comments
|
|
|
|
Posted by 
Posted by 
Posted by 
Dec. 8, 2005 - beautiful post