Flossbolna
Sea days are just so relaxing!
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
- Messages
- 14,023
Since you asked about it: Halloween really isn't celebrated in Germany as it is in the US. But October 31 is an important day in quite a large part of Germany as it is reformation day. Supposedly Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on October 31. Since large areas of Germany are Lutheran, it is widely celebrated (and a public holiday in some areas). In more catholic areas November 1, All Saints Day, is celebrated. It is a tradition to visit the family grave and to decorate it with heather or such.
Halloween is only adopted from the US. Some people tend to dislike it as it is mainly commercially driven. Especially it isn't common to go trick or treating.
Trick or treating is connected with another holiday here in Germany: Saint Martin's Day on 11/11. The story of Saint Martin (not to be confused with Martin Luther) is that he cut his coat in half on a very cold day and gave it to a beggar so that the beggar would not freeze to death. Children make lanterns for this and sing songs. They used to go from house to house performing their songs and getting treats. Today nurseries and churches will have their "St Martin's parade" where all the children walk through town with the lanterns and end up at the nursery/school/church for a small party. Oh, and people eat goose for St Martin.
Ok, now we have the trick and treating and the lanterns taken care of - the costumes take place in January/February: Carnival or Mardi Gras (we call it Fasching, pronounced liek fushing) between Christmas (or to be precise after Three Kings Day on January 6) and Ash Wednesday. Costumes are less scary and more fun, very often they are overdone uniforms as this was the only time ordinary people could make fun of the king without getting repression.
Ok, I guess you did not expect an essay on German holidays...
I think, a doll you loved as a child can still be great company as a teenager. Nodnol and I had some dolls which were handmade - from a company called Käthe Kruse, the biggest name in Germany for dolls - we still had them sitting in our bedrooms during college. They were pretty and nice bit of decoration that made us feel at home!
Halloween is only adopted from the US. Some people tend to dislike it as it is mainly commercially driven. Especially it isn't common to go trick or treating.
Trick or treating is connected with another holiday here in Germany: Saint Martin's Day on 11/11. The story of Saint Martin (not to be confused with Martin Luther) is that he cut his coat in half on a very cold day and gave it to a beggar so that the beggar would not freeze to death. Children make lanterns for this and sing songs. They used to go from house to house performing their songs and getting treats. Today nurseries and churches will have their "St Martin's parade" where all the children walk through town with the lanterns and end up at the nursery/school/church for a small party. Oh, and people eat goose for St Martin.
Ok, now we have the trick and treating and the lanterns taken care of - the costumes take place in January/February: Carnival or Mardi Gras (we call it Fasching, pronounced liek fushing) between Christmas (or to be precise after Three Kings Day on January 6) and Ash Wednesday. Costumes are less scary and more fun, very often they are overdone uniforms as this was the only time ordinary people could make fun of the king without getting repression.
Ok, I guess you did not expect an essay on German holidays...
Hey J,
Emily first started collecting Molly because there was a rumor that they were phasing out Felicity...but she really wanted Felicity and they brought her back...she has a lot of the accessories and she has them packed up lovingly in her closet...she said she wants to hold on to them and give them to her daughter or grandaughter some day...(everyone once in a while she takes them out to play/look with...
I think, a doll you loved as a child can still be great company as a teenager. Nodnol and I had some dolls which were handmade - from a company called Käthe Kruse, the biggest name in Germany for dolls - we still had them sitting in our bedrooms during college. They were pretty and nice bit of decoration that made us feel at home!
At least he can channel his issues into doing a service for the community. 
...I haven't been around the past 3-4 days and I have a lot of trip reports to catch up...as well as gracefully finishing up my own...
...Ah...good coffee + a good book= 
