Milford chronicle., 1957-12-20
Christmas In Germany
Christmas, 1857
Berlin Zehlendorf
Busse Alice 21
Germany


Germany
Dear Friends:
"Herzliche Wunsche yum Vein
achtfesti"
AS you can see, / am having a
wonderful experience in Berlin,
Germany, and send many hearty
wishes for the Christmas Season
in German, my new language.
Now that / have been an ex-
change student here for over five
months, | can look back on many
new experiences. There is the pro-
gress in learning the new language
this far and will make during the
rest of my stay. | have made so
many new friends, proving that all
over the world there are good, won
derful people like the ones back
home. In school which is inter
esting and fun, am making out
much better, and it is becoming
easier because now / have a much
better command of the German
language. I went with the class in
September to Schleswig-H -Holstein,
and every month we go on a days
trip around Berlin.
/ could not have asked for a nicer
German family! / have many bro
theirs (3) and (2) sisters which
makes every day exciting. My fa-
ther is a Lutheran minister and
works in a church hospital in
charge of the nurses. Naturally he
has many business trips to make
all over Germany, so he lets me
come along as his technical as
sistant." So with my father, /
have already seen Gottingen and
Rassel, and will later on see Frank
furt and Goslar. During Easter /
will go to Switzerland (this is the
home of John who lived with us in
America three years ago). Next
summer / will take three weeks
bicycle trip with the girl scouts in
to the country near Hanover. l am
SO thankful to God for being here
and getting to see SO much.
Especially as the Yuletide Sea-
son draws near, am / becoming
more and more excited about see
ing the difference in traditions and
customs here in Germany. There is
so much that is new and wonderful,
that I can't possibly become home
sick. First of all, the Germans Gel
ebrate Advent. l am sorry we do
not have it, because it is an excel
lent preparation for Christmas
(Weinachten). We have an ever
green wreath lying on our dinner
table each Sunday in December be-
fore Christmas. There are four red
candles on the first Sunday of Ad
vent one is lighted, second Sunday
two, third, three, until on the last
Sunday before Christmas all of
them are burning. While we sit
around the wreath, we sing Ad-
vent Carols-the Germans have
whole set of Advent carols. plus
many Christmas Carols.
Another custom new to me was
the coming of st. Nicholas on De-
cember 6. All of the children (my
brothers, sisters. and u put our
shoes, polished shiningly bright be-
forehand, outside our bedroom
doors the evening of December 9Th.
The next morning-Lo and Behold
they were filled with cookies, ku-
chen German cahes) and all sorts
of sweets. Naturally we don't have
our stockings hanging at Christmas,
but don't you think it is better to
receive presents on two days ra-
ther than just on one?
On the German Tannenbaum
christmas Tree) there are no cleo
trio lights, only candles. l asked my
German Multi, isn't that danger
Gus with candles on a Tannen-
baum?" She replied mo, that in
the 25 years of her marriage no
tree had ever caught fire. 1t is very
beautiful with candles, so that
makes up for the danger.
There is so much to take in and
learn at Christmas Season in an
other land. AS l ambitiously learn
the Advent and Christmas carols in
German, and you sing yours in Eng
lish: l will remember that Christ
mas is the same all over the world.
1t is clearer now that the Christ
Child was born to save everyone all
over the world from their sins
here in Germany, or in the u. S. A,
even in New Zealand, Brazil, or
Russia! Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year!
Sincerely yours,
ANNE MILBURY