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Editorial

Happy New Year! Happy 2019!

December 31, 2018 by Cornelia 1 Comment

fireworks-235813_1920.jpgDear CaliforniaGermans Community!

As we ringing in the new year we wanted to take a moment and thank you , our reader, for your loyalty throughout the year 2018.

We hope you found our articles interesting and entertaining, and ​hope that you ​will be part of our CaliforniaGermans community also in 2019.

What A Year!
​2018 was an exciting year for us. Early in the year, we adopted a new look for our website. ​Hopefully, you’ve enjoy​ed our new layout ​as much as we have and you find it ​much easier now to navigate​​ our site.

In 2018 we​ also​ started our new XPAT ​S​potlight ​I​nterview ​Series, in which we bring you a new interview with a fellow German​-​speaking expat every last Friday of the month. You can read up on the past ones right here.

If you know someone​,​ who you think ​would be a great fit for our XPAT Spotlight, ​please ​let us know! 

​On this last day of 2018, we also want to acknowledge and thank all our sponsors.

Thank you, ​PhoenixClub Anaheim, GASA-German American School Association, ​German Pacific School San Diego, and German School Campus Newport Beach for supporting CaliforniaGermans by advertising with us!

A special thank you goes to ​PKorn Law – GermanAmericanLawyer​, o​ur new special leaderboard advertiser.

Please check out our ​cool ​sponsors, if you look for help with ​either ​your legal matters here in California​, or want to learn German, or would like to hang out with fellow German speakers and enjoy some good old German food! 

​Did You Know about our CaliforniaGermans Job Board​?

​As we leave 2018 behind we wanted to remind you that you can post your job openings for free on the Job Board on our website. You are good-to-go if the job is in any way related to ‘Anything German’, like involving the German language, German speakers, German/Austrian/Swiss businesses in California, etc.  

​Let us Showcase You! Write for us in 2019!​

​Lastly, we are always looking for people, who love to write and who would like to share their expat experience, expertise and California adventures with us ​and CaliforniaGermans. If you feel that’s you, please contact us! 

We look forward to seeing you in 2019!

Happy New Year!

Your CaliforniaGermans Team

Filed Under: Editorial, News Tagged With: Happy New Year, New Year

5 Weeks until Xmas – 5 Ideas for Books to Give as a Gift

November 19, 2018 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

santa-claus-1128644_1920.jpg

Have you started Christmas shopping yet? 5 Ideas are on its way.

The next five Wednesdays leading up to Christmas we’ll support your Christmas shopping with some unique book ideas that make for a special gift.

We are going to introduce some German or German-related books that are refreshingly uncommon and off the beaten path. Let’s say not all are mainstream literature just yet, but so worth discovering.

Among the 5 books we’ll present, you will find one that’s perfect for children. Two of them make the perfect gift for all the history buffs among you as they deal with German history in quite different ways: One is a memoir of a German expat while the other is a historical fiction novel, packed with the suspense of diplomatic and political drama. 

Lastly, we have one book in our gift repertoire for just pure enjoyment and entertainment and another, that lets you dive into the depth of famed German literature.

Curious yet? Stay tuned and check in with us this and every Wednesday until Xmas, and find out what we have in store for you. 

You might just find the perfect gift for someone special!

Image: Pixabay.com

Filed Under: Editorial, Life in California, News Tagged With: Books, Chrildren books, Christmas gift ideas, Gift ideas, history, Holidays, literature, Tradition, Xmas gifts

A New Look For CaliforniaGermans.com

May 29, 2018 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

 

We are changing the look and feel of our website!

It was about time for CaliforniaGermans to finally get a ‘facelift’. Well, we are so excited to let you know that we finally did it!!  We will be changing to the new layout over the next few days.

Should you encounter any problems loading our site or not find what you are looking for, please let us know. Send us a quick note via our Contact Page!

With the new design, we hope to make it eventually easier for you to find what you are looking for. It’s a work in progress and even after the design-switch we will still continue making several updates to our site. Please have patience with us!

As always, we welcome your input and suggestions and would love to hear what you think of our new look. Let us know in the comments 🙂

Celebrate with us the new face of CaliforniaGermans!

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Filed Under: Editorial, News Tagged With: CaliforniaGermans, new website, news, web design

Springtime and Easter – Time for Memories

March 25, 2018 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

One more week, and we will celebrate Easter!

Growing up, I remember Easter and my birthday (since it is in March) being the most welcome indicators for spring’s arrival.

We often celebrated my birthday in Italy and while Munich at that time was often still covered in snow and sported temperatures near zero degrees Celsius, I could see that winter was in retreat as soon as we had crossed the Brenner and we were leaving the alps behind us descending into the valley of the Veneto region. Our final destination was Verona, where much warmer temperatures and sun welcomed us.

How I loved this trip every year! I think I came back home to Munich another person knowing that springtime will soon have a triumphant return here as well.

All I Need For Easter is….

Easter egg hunting was always fun, but eating all these delicious chocolates was the best! I have to admit, I do miss those since living here in California; even though Easter egg hunting itself has become much more exciting. We as parents can actually go wild playing Easter bunny now in the garden or a park finding the perfect hiding places in nature versus the living room… California weather is just perfect, isn’t it?

While I do send urgent requests to Germany each year to ship me my favorite Easter egg candies like liquid filled ‘Dragee Eier’  or Lindt & Sprüngli Cognac & Eierlikör eggs – hmm! – one can actually find some familiar Easter chocolate egg choices at places like Worldmarket or even at Amazon!

                                

My Favorites!!

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Should you be short on some German Easter chocolate egg options, these are some you may still have shipped to you perhaps on time…

Remember these…?

  ..    .. 

I realize for some of these goodies, it might be too late, but hey, I don’t discriminate… I’ll eat Eierlikör chocolate eggs year-round 🙂

Featured Image: pixabay.com



Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, we will earn an affiliate commision if you purchase the item after having clicked on the link. We only recommend products to our readers we love and believe in ourselves.

Filed Under: Editorial Tagged With: Easter, easter chocolate eggs, German Traditions, Germany, Ostern, Traditions

Enjoying Ski Week Without The Snow

February 25, 2018 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Ski Week and Being Just Fine with Seeing Snow Only on Pictures

In some Southern California school districts, the short week of vacation called “Ski Week” is coming to an end. While I remember families flocking towards Mammoth Mountain or at least nearby Big Bear Mountain or Mountain High to catch some snow, this year I witnessed youth rather flying to Europe or the East Coast.

We didn’t do either. We stayed put and just enjoyed a nice, peaceful but rather chilly week with typical, delightful California sunshine. You think that’s boring? Well, I grew up with four seasons and while much can be beautiful in each one of them, there can also be endless rain in spring and fall and many dark, dark days in winter.

Snow – I don’t mind not having it, and while I used to seek it when my kids were younger for the sake of them learning how to ski, I now am just happy to witness snow falling via social media in other places, like Germany; far away, while I enjoy walking along the seashore in beautiful sunshine.

In fact, Germany just got reminded of the fact that it’s still winter and fluffy white snowflakes started covering cities especially Munich with layers and layers of snow. Perfectly right on time for our “Ski Week” here in California, ironically. So, I had my share of snow via Instagram, Facebook and What’s Up. My phone eagerly beeped all week-long announcing new pictures that were sent from family and friends overseas, covering for me the news of new snowmen popping up all over Munich.

Snowman Munich ©CaliforniaGermans
Snowmen Muenchen ©CaliforniaGermans
Snowman Munich ©CaliforniaGermans

I won’t deny it, seeing pictures of snowmen against a crystal blue sky made me somewhat envious,… but juuust for a short moment. True, these gorgeous, crisp winter days in Germany are really precious. The sun and the bright snow make for a very special light and being on top of a ski slope on a day like that, with a view of the alps around you, that’s heaven I remember.

Just as I am getting melancholy, however, I am reminding myself of the downside of snow in the city. I remember those days of shoveling mounds of snow off my car in freezing temperatures trying to get my children to their Kindergarten class on time. The challenges of driving in freshly fallen snow as well as driving on streets covered with slushy dirty snow are just as much a vivid memory as the dramatic balancing act of maneuvering the car over icy roads.

Oh, and did I forget mentioning parallel parking into parking spots battling with the snow for who is faster in filling the void space that I initially thought was an empty parking space?

California works just fine for me. If I am really desperate for snow and freezing temperatures in wintertime, snow – fake or real – is just a few hours away in the car. I can enjoy the white sparkling splendor for a few hours and then drive home to spend the evening at the beach if I like. It’s perhaps a bit of a stretch, yes, but it is possible!

Images: ©CaliforniaGermans


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Filed Under: Editorial, Life in California Tagged With: alps, beach, California, Germany, ski week, sunshine, vacation, Winter

It’s Carnival Season. Find your ‘Faschings’ Party in California

February 6, 2018 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

It’s the month of the fools! It’s Carnival!

Germany and beyond is in Carnival Fever. No, not to worry, it’s not a dangerous virus causing this outbreak. Though, it can be contagious!

Dancing, masquerades, and political satire are high in season. No-one is safe in this public outbreak of having-a-fun-time. Most of the bigger cities in German-speaking countries have big events planned for the next couple of weeks. Even smaller communities know how to pay proper tribute to ‘Fasching’.

Kids are looking forward to Carnival all year-long. It’s their time to be Spiderman or a queen for the day, and dress up as their favorite character. In fact, until Halloween had conquered Germany, Fasching somewhat resembled Halloween “German style”, at least in respect to wearing costumes.

And then, February 14th comes, and it’s all over! At least this year…

All the fun is suddenly over on February 14th this year! However, not because of Valentine’s Day. 🙂  This year, 2018, Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday share the same date and Ash Wednesday rings in the Season of Lent. For many Christians around the world, Lent is a time of fasting in preparation for Easter. Carnival is over until next year!

So party your heart out, before it’s too late! To help you find a suitable event we have listed a few that were mentioned to us:

Fasching for Children:

GermanSchoolCampus – Newport Beach:
February 10 – Carnival Party at German School Campus for young and old from 4pm – 6pm (Free Event)

German American School Association (GASA) at the PhoenixClub – Anaheim
February 11th – Kinderkarneval with Youth Dance Group. Event in the Ball Room at 1pm, (Free Event)

Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool – Los Angeles:
February 11th – Fasching At the WirtshausLA, 345 N La Brea Avenue , 3pm-6pm

Karneval for Adults:

Phoenix Club – Anaheim (SoCal)
February 10th – Karneval – Auf der Reeperbahn with Edmonton Blauen Funken, 7:00 pm . Admission: $5/person

Karneval/Mardi Gras/Fasching Costume Ball in Marin County (NorCal)
February 10th -Hosted by Hermann Sons Petaluma Lodge, 860 Western Avenue, Petaluma .Doors open 6:00 p.m., Dancing 7:00 p.m. Admission: $25/person

Image: Pixabay.com


 

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Filed Under: Culture, Editorial Tagged With: California, Carnival, Expats, Fasching, Tradition

Dieter Kermas und sein neuer Roman “Kolja: Liebe im Feindesland”. Ein Interview.

December 9, 2017 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Viele von uns erinnern sich noch an die ergreifenden Geschichten, die uns Dieter Kermas aus seiner Kindheit während des Krieges erzählte. Nach seinen Kindheitserinnerungen, die in Segmenten auf CaliforniaGermans in 2013 veröffentlicht wurden, erfreute uns Dieter Kermas an vielen Wochenenden mit seinen lustigen, manchmal auch nachdenklich stimmenden Kurzgeschichten und Gedichten.

Fans von Dieter Kermas können sich nun freuen, denn er hat seinen ersten Roman veröffentlicht!

“Kolja: Liebe im Feindesland” von Dieter Kermas ist auf Amazon erhältlich.

Der wunderbar einfühlsam und spannend geschriebene Roman handelt von zwei jungen Leuten, Kolja, einem Russen und Lotte, einer jungen Berlinerin. Anstatt Feinde zu sein, verlieben sie sich ineinander. Der Liebe ist kein langes Glück gegönnt. Bei Ende des Krieges wird Kolja nach Russland zurückberufen und ein Wiedersehen scheint in unerreichbare Ferne gerückt zu sein.

Erst viele Jahre später nach dem Untergang der UdSSR ergibt sich die Möglichkeit zu einer Wiedervereinigung, die allerdings einen unerwarteten Vorfall mit sich bringt.

Ein Interview mit Dieter Kermas zu seinem Roman – Kolja: Liebe im Feindesland

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CaliforniaGermans: Dieter, wie kommt es, dass die Hauptfigur Ihres ersten Buches kein Deutscher ist, sondern ein Soldat, der sich sozusagen hinter feindlichen Linien befindet, aus deutscher Sicht gesehen?

Dieter Kermas:  Das Thema verlangte danach, sich mit dem Charakter des „Feindes“ zu befassen. Ich las deshalb Originalberichte ( d.h. die Übersetzungen) über russische Soldatenschicksale.

CG: Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges waren Sie noch sehr jung und konnten Kolja’s Erfahrungen selbst nicht gemacht haben. Was hat sie zu den Figuren Kolja, dem jungen russischen Soldat, und Lotte, der jungen Berlinerin, inspiriert? Gibt es da autobiografische Elemente?

Dieter K. : Die Kriegsereignisse von 1939 bis 1945 habe ich recherchiert. Die Zeit des „Kalten Krieges“ habe ich allerdings selbst miterlebt und konnte für diese Zeit eigene Erfahrungen einfließen lassen.

Was autobiografische Elemente angeht… Für längere Zeit hatte ich eine enge Freundschaft mit einer russischen Studentin. Hier waren die Rollen jedoch vertauscht. Sie in Moskau, ich in Berlin.

CG: Was sehen Sie als die Quintessenz Ihres Buches?

Dieter K.: Es sollte nach den schrecklichen Ereignissen des WWII, eine Brücke zwischen Deutschland und Russland entstehen. Dazu eignete sich das Schicksal von zwei Liebenden.

Selbst die stärkste Liebe kann durch die unterschiedlichen Ideologien zweier Staaten scheitern.

CG: Erzählen Sie uns ein wenig über Ihren Schreibprozess . Wann haben Sie mit dem Schreiben Ihres Romans begonnen? Wann konnten Sie das vollendete Werk in Händen halten? Mussten Sie viel recherchieren?

Dieter K: Die Idee, die Liebe zweier Menschen in unterschiedlichen Lebenssituationen zu schildern, hatte ich bereits 2004. Der Auslöser hierfür war meine Freundschaft mit einer Russin, die ich bereits erwähnte. Handschriftlich hatte ich die Handlung bis Ende 2005 skizziert. Der Entwurf blieb allerdings bis 2012 unbearbeitet liegen! Ein Freund veranlasste mich letztendlich 2013 weiterzuschreiben. 

Die Recherchen über die Orte und Jahreszahlen der Kampfhandlungen zogen sich bis 2014 hin. Die Örtlichkeiten in Moskau hingegen kannte ich aus eigener Erfahrung. 2015 folgte dann noch eine Überarbeitung, sodass das Buch 2016 in Druck gehen konnte. Es war ein ausgesprochen tolles Gefühl mein erstes Buch in Händen zu halten.

CG: Was hat sich während des Schreibens von “Kolja” als schwierigeres Unterfangen herausgestellt?

Dieter K.: Gute Frage. Den Verlauf der Kämpfe zeitlich und örtlich korrekt zu schreiben, war tatsächlich nicht so einfach. Auch Koljas und Lottes Gefühle in dieser gefährlichen Zeit zu beschreiben, war eine delikate wenn auch reizvolle Herausforderung.

CG: Was hat Ihnen am meisten Spass macht, als Sie den Roman schrieben?

Dieter K. : Beim Schreiben erinnerte ich mich an viele schöne Erlebnisse, die ich vor vielen Jahren in Russland hatte.

CA: Sie sind ursprünglich Ingenieur, was oft als ein eher ‘trockener’ Beruf bezeichnet wird. Wie kamen Sie zum Schreiben? War das schon immer ein Teil von Ihnen?

Dieter K.: Der trockene Beruf war für den Broterwerb und ließ leider keine Zeit zum Schreiben zu. Zum Schreiben kam ich tatsächlich erst nach Berufsende.

In gemütlicher Runde mit Kollegen, oder Freunden, hatte ich immer lustige Geschichten aus meiner Kindheit, Reiseerlebnisse, oder auch Eindrücke von der Flucht erzählt. „Schreib doch die Geschichten auf!“, forderten sie mich immer wieder auf. Das war der Auslöser, mit dem Schreiben zu beginnen.

Anfangs waren es nur Kurzgeschichten und Gedichte, ehe ich mich an einen Roman wagte.

CA: Haben Sie ein Lieblingsbuch? Vielleicht ein Buch, das Sie zum Schreiben Ihres Romans anregte?

Dieter K.: Nein, es gab kein spezielles Buch, das mich zum Schreiben des Romans inspirierte. Mir fällt auch kein Lieblingsbuch ein, aber ich lese zum Beispiel gerne die Werke von Anton Tschechow, Edgar Allan Poe, Puschkin und Hemingway.

Meine Lieblingsbücher in der Kindheit waren die Indianergeschichten von Karl May, das Dschungelbuch von R. Kipling und die Reisegeschichten von Sven Hedin.

CG: Was bedeutet Schreiben für Sie? Ist es Entspannung pur oder eher kathartisch? Was reizt Sie, zur ‘Feder’ zu greifen?

Dieter K.: Es reizt mich aus der Fantasie heraus, Personen und Situationen in Geschichten einzubinden. Außerdem ist Schreiben entspannend und je nach Genre aufregend zugleich. Seelische Probleme muss ich damit nicht verarbeiten, dazu bin ich zu ausgeglichen.

CG: Schreiben Sie jeden Tag?

Dieter K.: Jeden Tag zu schreiben halte ich nicht für so zwingend notwendig, es sei denn es ist beruflich erforderlich. Wenn ein Teil der Handlung im Kopf fertig ist, kann es sein, dass ich mehrere Tage hintereinander diese zu Papier bringe. Es sollte Spaß machen und unter keinem Zeitdruck stehen.

CG: Was können wir als Nächstes von Dieter Kermas erwarten?

Dieter K.: Also, ich schreibe an einem neuen Roman. Der Handlungsablauf ist bereits fertig. Jetzt geht es an die Details. Er soll 2018 gedruckt werden.

CG: Dürfen wir wissen, in welche thematische Richtung Ihr neuer Roman gehen wird?

Dieter K.: Natürlich! Der zweite Roman sollte ursprünglich ein Abenteuerroman werden, so einer wie ich ihn in meiner Jugend gerne gelesen habe. Während der Ausarbeitung des Plots, kam ich aus heiterem Himmel auf die Idee, ein UFO auftauchen zu lassen. Danach drehte sich der Roman komplett in eine Scifi- Geschichte. Das erforderte nun ausgedehnte Recherchen über dieses Thema. Je länger ich an der Geschichte schrieb, desto mehr Spaß machte sie mir.

Hier ein kleiner ‘Teaser’: Der Roman beginnt auf einer Insel im  Pazifik. Der Hauptteil der Handlung spielt sich in einer deutschen Hafenstadt ab. Darüber hinaus werden einige Szenen in anderen Teilen der Welt geschildert. Zeit: 20. Jahrhundert. Thema: Die Menschheit steht am Abgrund ihrer Existenz.

CG: Dieter, wir danken Ihnen ganz herzlich für das Gespräch und wünschen Ihnen viel Erfolg mit ‘Kolja’, sowie viel Spass beim Schreiben Ihres neuen Romans!

Kolja – Liebe im Feindesland von Dieter Kermas ist bei Amazon sowie bei anderen Anbietern vorerst nur in deutsch erhältlich:

https://www.amazon.de/Kolja-Liebe-Feindesland-Dieter-Kermas-ebook/dp/B01M9A95NM

 

Image: ©Dieter Kermas


 

Filed Under: Editorial, Lese-Ecke Tagged With: Dieter Kermas, German stories, Historical fiction, Kolja Liebe im Feindesland, Writer

Celebrating Saint Nicholas Day. How did you behave all year?

December 6, 2017 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Today is Saint Nicholas Day (Sankt Nikolaus). How did you behave all year? He will know!

Perhaps you were good and could start out your day already with a full boot full of treats. Or you are still waiting until tonight when Saint Nicholas himself comes by and pays you a visit.

Many German families celebrate this beloved tradition the way that they have their children put out a boot overnight from the 5th to the 6th of December so that Saint Nicholas could fill it with oranges, nuts, chocolates, and even small toys. This would, of course, happen only if the child had behaved well all year. Surprisingly, they always had!

In some families, like mine, Saint Nicholas would actually come by in the evening of the 6th of December. Every year it was a big affair. We had friends with their children over to await the honored guest. O my, was I nervous as a young child!

Around 6 pm we would hear little bells and heavy footsteps crunching through the snow towards our patio door looking out onto the black pitch garden. And there he suddenly was! Standing in front of our patio glass door knocking with his white-gloved hand. Saint Nicholas!

All of us kids would huddle together, while my dad would open the door and beckon the honored guest in. Every year we were awed just the same!

Saint Nicholas and his Golden Book of Truth

Saint Nicholas entered our living room. Dressed in a bishop’s robe with a red cape and a Mitra he had a heavy burlap sacket over one shoulder and a huge golden book clasped underneath his other arm that was also holding a golden staff.  After we all had greeted him he took a quick glance at the half circle of children asking one of us to come forward to hold his precious crozier. We were all excitedly terrified and intimidated at what to expect next.

He sighed and slowly leafed through his golden book when suddenly stopping at one page, he announced a name and looked at us children with questioning eyes. The one, who had been named, timidly stepped forward and Saint Nicholas looked at him or her with a friendly look and exclaimed in a deep voice: “Now, let’s see what my little angels have written about you over the past year.”

He started reading out of his big golden book all, that he or she had achieved over the year, and what the parents were so proud of. Saint Nicholas would approve with little nods here and there or even utter some words of admiration.

With gleaming faces, we listened to his every word wishing just that the end would not be too embarrassing since everyone else was listening. We were aware that most likely, not everything had been perfect over the year and knew that Saint Nicholas would close by mentioning something we could thrive for and do better in the following year.

Every child had finally been addressed and received a little burlap sacket filled with treats, that Saint Nicholas retrieved from his big one. But this wasn’t the end. No!

Now it was time for entertainment! The parents would ask Saint Nicholas to take a seat and enjoy a glass of red wine while he would listen to our, the children’s presentations. Relieved, we children moved to this more relaxed part and recited our poems, played holiday music on our flutes and the piano.

After a short social time with Saint Nicholas, we finally accompanied him back out to the garden where he vanished into the dark, leaving us with the noise of the crunching footsteps in the snow and the jingling of bells in the air.

Exhilarated we ran back inside the house to indulge in unpacking our presents at last.

 

Image: Title image ©CaliforniaGermans , Pixabay.com


Filed Under: Culture, Editorial, German Traditions in CA Tagged With: Christmas, Germany, holiday season, Saint Nicholas, Sankt Nikolaus, Traditions

Happy First of December! Countdown to Christmas has officially started!

December 1, 2017 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

The story of the Advent Calendar

Germans love Christmas. In fact, for Germans, it’s the most important holiday of the year!

Many traditions help us Germans prepare for and enjoy the Christmas season to the fullest, like Saint Nicholas Day on Dec 6th or the four Sundays of Advent, Christmas cookies and much more.

One tradition, however, stands out since it is equally loved by children and adults. The Advent Calendar!

Who doesn’t like a countdown to a highly anticipated event?

Apparently many don’t want to miss it. In places all around the world, one can now find these magic Advent Calendars that hide chocolates or little toys behind their secret doors. Even beer calendars are available or calendars filled with a variety of liquor filled chocolates. The possibilities seem endless…

In the old days, just a beautiful little picture behind a door would make kids happy. Today some Advent Calendars made it even online, published by companies that discovered it as another tool to engage customers.

The first Advent Calendar originated in Germany in 1904 when Gerhard Lang published a simple one as an insert in a newspaper in Stuttgart. It was a raving success! So Lang decided to print a new one every year. The designs became more and more elaborate from calendars that worked like a dial to calendar houses filled with chocolates to even a calendar in Braille for the blind.

But how did he get the idea to make a calendar that would count down the days to Christmas in the first place?

The idea of counting down to Christmas Eve already existed in different ways. Some families used to mark the days to Christmas with chalk on their doors, in other families children were putting one piece of hay every day into a manger in which Baby Jesus would be laid on Christmas Eve.

Gerhard Lange’s mother however handcrafted a calendar for his then little son that would be filled with a little meringue for every day in December leading up to Christmas Eve. That caused a lasting impression and, as an adult, inspired Gerhard Lange to expand on his mother’s idea of an Advent Calendar.

The ‘modern’ Advent Calendar was born and started out to conquer the world in all kinds of variations!

Wir wünschen eine schöne Vorweihnachtszeit!  

Happy Holiday Season!

Images: Pixabay.com


Filed Under: Culture, Editorial, German Festivals, German Traditions in CA Tagged With: advent, Advent Calendar, Christmas, December, Expat, Germany, holiday season, Tradition

INTIMACY

November 23, 2017 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

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Intimacy

(A Poem by Nils-Henrik Fuertes)
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Laughter echoes off the timeworn landscape of birch cabinetry
Pealing in my ears as I sit on
My straight-backed chair,
Chattering of my siblings such an archaic sound
Yet worn with a love I never forget.

The glare of cheerful electric lights enlightens every corner
Enhancing the metallic sparkle of the fridge.
Dull green paint on the walls
A faded memory of the old days
Like an endearing grandparent.

Calm air flows smoothly from the humming kitchen vent.
Classical music ever-present in the background.
Dancing flames tapping
A variety of rattling pots on the excited stove
Attempting to consume the savory scents drifting about the room.

Sugary orange yams with cinnamon
Melting in a tray of warm creamy butter,
Homemade goodness enveloping my senses.
A stark contrast to the homely furnishing
Splashing color upon the scene.

Dishes bang on the smooth granite countertop
Met with the subtle and sophisticated
Tinkling from champagne glasses,
And the merry jingle of silverware,
Preparing for the feast.
Ice-cold cider whooshes into glasses with gusto
Eggnog clouds my nostrils,
Radiating heat from the oven clings to my face.
Tenderly.
Softened by the breeze of pattering footsteps.

Water merrily babbles from the sink like a well-known relative
Harmonizing with the whistling of the teapot.
Grouchily the oven screeches on its rusty hinges
Competing with the oblivious chirping of my parakeet
Not aware that a bird is being prepared for dinner!

The spice-filled pumpkin pie waits on the microwave
Awaiting its moment of glory,
Gravy splashes in the boat.
Mashed potatoes steaming impatiently
As the cranberry sauce giggles in its bubbly pot.

Stealthily, I sneak up next to the animated stove
The hilts of the knives glinting me a mischievous smile,
And there it is!
The gem of Thanksgiving dinner
A seasoned turkey roasting to a crisp inside of the searing oven.

Thanksgiving is shortly upon me.
My kitchen is now alive with newfound sensations,
A reassurance to me and my family
Warmly filling my heart.
Affection.

 

©Nils-Henrik Fuertes

Image: Rockwell [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!


 

 

Filed Under: Art & Cinematographie, Culture, Editorial Tagged With: Expat, German, Nils-Henrik Fuertes, Thanksgiving, Tradition

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