Date Posted:01:10:37 12/18/04 Sat Author: Chris Subject: Advent season In reply to:
Chris
's message, "Christmas time" on 09:25:50 12/06/04 Mon
How do you celebrate the Advent season, i.e. the 4 weeks before Christimas?
In Germany we have the traditions of the Advent wreath, the Advent calendar for kids. And we have dozens of Advent or Christmas celenbrations during the 4 weeks, with church, family, colleagues, school etc. And we are baking Christmas cookies all the time. Is it similar in the US?
In some traditions, particularly in the Orthodox church, it is also a time of fasting (i.e. not meat or goodies). Only at Christmas day you start eating with an opulent banquet. Similar at Easter. Unfortunately, in Russia they also start drinking (if they ever stopped or throttled drinking at all). Anyway, I think it is better than eathing cookies the whole Advent season already. In Germany, they now sell the typical Christmas goodies already starting in August or September... 10 or 20 years ago, you could find them in the shops starting in November or December. Commercialism is really taking overhand here.
