German Christmas Memories

by Heidi
(Virginia)

Baking cookies with my mom with Heino singing Alle Jahre Wieder on the stereo. The other thing that reminds me of Germany is the smell of tangerines. We always got nuts and tangerines in our shoes on December 6. To this day the smell makes me feel cozy and in the Christmas spirit!

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Heidi, I love how memories get stirred at Christmas with music and the wonderful aromas. Yes, I also recall the shoes on December 6, being set out the night before, and waking up in the morning having them overflowing with treats.

The tangerines were a real treat. We lived up in northern Ontario during my childhood years, and getting citrus fruits was expensive. Tangerines were an absolute real treat. In fact, any fruit other than apples were a treat.

I recall my Mutti making us 'Bunte Teller' (coloured plates) ... each of us getting one filled with apples, mixed nuts (in the shells), wrapped cookies, marzipan (that she had made) and an orange or tangerine ... and these were set out near the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Sometimes there'd be small gifts in there as well.

Mutti continued that idea of separate plates for each of us throughout the year ... only these were filled with fruit. She would divide out the fruit after she's come home from shopping. That way it was divided among each of us three girls and one of us couldn't pig out on the fruit we liked, leaving none for the others. Me, I loved grapes. I recall sneaking some off my sister's plate, and feeling quite guilty about it. :)

Thanks, for reminding me of this, Heidi.
Wishing you a blessed Christmas,
Gerhild