It is not long until dawn and the sky is mauve. The colour of pale lavender. The trees beyond the window are stripped of any summer green, their branches stark and brazen against the pastel sky.

We have just returned to London after Christmas in Germany. We spent a week in the Black Forest and then with my aunty and cousins on the outskirts of Munich in Bavaria. Christmas is a very special time in Germany and celebrated with such beauty and imagination.  

Every evening in Karlsruhe in the Black Forest, Michael and I would wrap ourselves in scarves and gloves and walk to the town square to the Christkindlmarkt or Christmas Markets (Christkindlmarkt literally means “Christ Child Markets”). These are traditional open-air markets which take place in the days leading up to December 24th and 25th. The people of the town or village gather together on these winter evenings to enjoy the special atmosphere and the company. Carols are sung cheerfully by a small choir, as clusters gather around the stalls busily selling hot bratwurst and mustard, or pancakes sprinkled in powdery sugar. These Christmas nights are icy and the steamy spicy glühwein is warm relief and leaves your lips cinnamon-y.

Christmas is celebrated on the evening of the 24th in Germany. We are together in my aunt’s sitting-room. Winter darkness is at the window but it is cosy inside. My cousin lights the candles on the tree and it looks like a fairy-tale. My aunt uses a ladle to pour the hot clove wine into mugs, sometimes it slurps and drips leaving pink drops. German carols play quietly and we sit together in this muted atmosphere lit only by candles.  There is a faint scent of pine from the advent wreath set before us. Beside it is a plate of oranges and a bowl of nuts. In this little haven on Christmas eve we could be at the end of the earth it is so peaceful.

~ by Birgit on January 5, 2007.

Posted in Christmas, Journal, Travel