Cinnamon Stars and Candles
When I was a girl, Sunday evenings in December meant cinnamon stars and candles.
This is one of my favourite memories of the Christmas season growing up, the celebration of advent.
Advent means “coming” and refers to the coming of Jesus as a baby in a manger as predicted by the Old Testament prophets, as well as His future coming on the clouds in glory, as it says in Revelation (1:7).
The four Sundays leading up to Christmas mark the advent season, each time, another candle is lit within a beautiful wreath showing the progression towards Christmas. For Christians it’s a time of joy and of looking forward, and of making a place for Jesus in our hearts. It’s often celebrated in traditional churches, which I grew up in, and it’s also celebrated widely in Germany. My Dad’s German, and Mum kept up this family tradition for us growing up in New Zealand.
So on each of these Sundays, with the evening sky still full of sun in New Zealand, we would sit around a beautiful wreath that Mum had decorated, with lit candles and music, with family and friends, and Mum would bring out plates of the most gorgeous German Christmas baking. I loved the cinnamon stars the most, and there was also Stollen, a rich, fruity kind of bread filled with marzipan, lebkuchen, a soft, spicy kind of gingerbread and pfeffernusse, small spicy biscuits rolled in sugar just to mention a few.
The Sunday that has just been was the first Sunday of advent, and so it’s brought back these lovely memories of this tradition. I’ve included a photo above of an advent wreath, and spicy mulled wine being poured, from the last time we spent Christmas with my aunt and cousins in Germany.
I’d love to hear about some of your Christmas traditions. What most stands out for you growing up? Which traditions are you building with your family this Christmas season?
The treats sound delicious. Thanks for painting a picture in my mind of your Sunday evenings in December. Beautiful.
Wont be long before you are enjoying the NZ Christmas again. Particularly with the little(ees).
We make sure all of our shopping is done by November, so we don’t have to participate in any of the shopping madness. The day after Thanksgiving, we go get our tree and decorate and then spend the rest of the time making cookies and watching movies. We always watch The Lord of the Rings movies. Not very spiritual, huh? But it is very relaxing and cozy and comfy. :)
What a lovely comment, thanks @ngie, and yes, the treats are so yummy :)
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Hi Lorraine, SO looking forward!! It’ll be great to catch up soon :)
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Hi Tawny, that sounds so good, and so organised, I’m really impressed you get all your shopping done ahead of time, good on you! And what a lovely way to spend the Christmas season as a family, watching movies and making special treats. Sounds so cosy as you say :)
Hi Birgit,
Thanks for putting the nice picture of the advent wreath. My mom was just surprised seeing her wreath here. Greetings from her. She is spending another week here in Chicago with me and my family.
She is full of joy about her grandson Erion and wishes him a wonderful Christmas tree like you have seen at your christmas visit in Germany with many candles and colorful ornaments.
I wish we had grown up with the tradition of Advent. I didn’t even know about it until I was a senior in high school. I think the church we attended, for all those years before, was anti-tradition. We didn’t even take communion but four times a year.
So, this time of year doesn’t hold much tradition outside of decorating and shopping. I need to be more deliberate about changing that before my teenagers become adults and are gone.
Thanks for the motivation, Birgs!
Beautiful picture. ;)