Christmas Traditions 2

 

Blue Christmas Tree

Growing up in New York City in mid-twentieth  century there were certain holiday rules and rituals that we all seemed to follow. Everyone, except my Aunt Irene, had a live tree.   Aunt Irene and Uncle Bill who, in the early years of their marriage, lived in an apartment house down the street from my parents' building, were the first "hip" couple in our extended family to actually have an artificial tree. And in true post-modern 1950's fashion, their's was a silver aluminum tree with blue lights and blue ornaments.  I thought it was wonderful, but I think my Grandmother was taken aback by it. 

There was good reason for the introduction of artificial trees.  As a child I remember that during each Christmas season there would be news stories about house fires caused by neglected trees.  The new artificial trees were not so great in the early years.  They were rather roughly fashioned wire and their "needles" were more like bottle washers than the real supine needles of a traditional Douglas fir.

My family always had a real tree; even when I married, the tradition continued. I had always wanted to get an artificial one, especially the year I was still vacuuming up needles as I prepared for Easter, but I usually lost the annual family "vote"...it usually  wound up as a tie.  One daughter and I would vote "yes"; the son and the husband voted "no",  and the final child was always "neutral"...no majority, no change. Only last year did I buy a small artificial tree for my condo.  This past Tuesday my grandson picked it up and proclaimed it, "Tree!".

During the recent Christmas Markets cruise I was surprised that all of the trees onboard were real.  In all of the markets we visited and along the streets of  cities and towns like Cologne, Mainz, Speyer and Munich, all of the trees lining the streets were real trees.



And in some households the old tradition of using candles on the tree for illumination still exists.  I think this must give it a lovely glow, but I would be very leery of doing this today.  In the department store in Munich they still sell clip-on candle holders and variously colored Christmas candles for the tree.  I was told that the candle laden-holders are attached to the branches the day before you want to light the tree.  They are then allowed to "settle" overnight due to the weight of the filled holders.  The tree is then lit on Christmas Eve while everyone is in the room, and then , once everyone is leaving...all candles are snuffed out.  I am happy to report that the relative we visited in Munich has electric lights on her tree.

Another interesting tradition in Germany is the importance of the Advent Calendar.  Here in the states an Advent Calendar is usually given by churches to the young children in the congregation.  Most have little tabs that you open up every morning of Advent.  It may have a prayer, Bible verse or picture inside.  If you are among the lucky, your Advent Calendar has a piece of candy behind each door.                                                                                             



In Germany the calendar often holds a small gift for each day. It is more than a cardboard concoction and often consists of intricately hung numbered bags into which a small toy , fruits, nuts or candies are placed.  Toy companies like "Lego", "Barbie" or "Playmobile" sell "Advent Calendar" fillers for parents too busy to  compile these serial gifts for each child.  It is certainly good marketing, because you can provided the accessories for the major Christmas toy as part of the Advent preparation.

But my favorite old world tradition caught me unaware.  One thing we used to do back in the "day" was to go to Rockefeller Center in Manhattan to see the tree.  While we were there, we would buy some roasted chestnuts from local street vendors. My Mom would also make chestnut stuffing for our holiday turkeys, which I loved to eat the next day as turkey and stuffing sandwiches.

But, there are no American chestnuts anymore.  The local chestnut trees in New York and New Jersey were killed by a blight many years ago.  So imagine my delight at being assailed by the smell of "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" in the various Christmas markets along the river.  I finally succumbed and bought some in Strasbourg and in Nurnberg.  Their fulsome and rich nutty taste brought me back, and there I was: watching the skaters at Rockefeller Center and waiting on line to see the Rockettes dance their way across the Christmas Spectacular...Ahh, the power of smell and memory!