Across the Fence

Nature has fallen asleep by now. But wait – one really nice Advent tradition is that of Barbara branches. St. Barbara’s Day is December 4, and my mother always bought some branches for a vase. Not just any branches but such as from cherry trees or apple trees. As a child, I found it kind […]

Have you ever wondered why advent traditionally is celebrated with a specific kind of wreath? Why with a wreath, at all? The circle as well as the evergreen boughs it is made of both symbolize eternal life; a wreath also is a reminder of a crown of thorns, of Christ’s endless love. As of here, […]

Have you already placed any evergreens in your home? A garland over the mantlepiece, on a window sill, or on a sideboard? A few branches in a vase? An arrangement or a wreath on a table or at your front door? The scent will fill the air and lend a room the flair of the […]

Are you counting down the days till Christmas? Advent calendars are a fun way to celebrate the season AND to do the count. There are countless kinds of advent calendars. The easiest ones to have are the boughten ones with chocolates, truffles, perfumes, cheeses, or even alcoholic beverages. The ones that are truly personal are […]

Who doesn’t know the Germanism Gemütlichkeit in the English language?! Gemüt (approximately pronounced ga-‘moot) has a bunch of meanings: mind, soul, disposition, feeling. You might recognize that the English term mood is related. Gemütlichkeit (approximately pronounced ga-‘mootlih-kite) means coziness, snugness, homeliness. The concept of Gemütlichkeit seems to have developed during the German era of Biedermeier […]

We all know the power of gifts as well as of weapons. But let’s ponder that of words. Because there are so many nuances to what has to be ascribed to something Germans call Sprachgefühl (approximately pronounced ‘spruh-ga-fool), the feeling for language. This term has actually made it into the English language because it describes […]

They are square (ten by ten centimeters) and made from a brass plate fused with a concrete block underneath. They have been all over Europe since 1997. Usually, they are engraved with the name and birthdate of a person. And with a date that tells passers-by about their fate. They are not random persons; their […]