In Germany the time from December 1st to December 24th is called "Adventszeit",
which means the time before Christmas Eve. Parents give their children
calendars that count down the days. Everyday in December they can
open one of the doors and receive either a small chocolate in the
shape of a star, a tree, or a little toy. These calendars just make
the wait to Christmas Eve a little easier.
The
four weeks leading up to Christmas Eve are a happy time - at least
for those who believe in the beautiful history of Christmas and
willing to make this time of the year even more charming. This day
in Germany many families set up an Advent wreath, or Adventskranz
on the first Advent Sunday (the fourth before Christmas) to start
the Advent season. A typical Advent wreath is made of evergreen
branches and decorated with red-green tapes, pine cones and four
candles, one for each week of Advent. Traditional families still
gather around the wreath on each Advent Sunday to light the next
candle and sing Christmas carols. This was even more important in
the past, when the Christmas tree was usually reserved for a special
unveiling only on Christmas Eve. Until then, the Advent wreath provided
the evergreen look and special festive aroma in the house.
