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Christmas in Alsace

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Category: Discover Alsace

Published on Friday, 16 December 2011 19:13

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 Christmas in Alsace
Sélestat: birth of the first Christmas tree


In a book of the city Séléstat is an appropriate note written by the existence of a tradition of the Christmas tree was found. It is the oldest known mention in the world, it dates from 21st Dezember 1521st

Sélestat is also known for its Christmas market. As everyone in Alsace, it is for a month, to 24 December.

ski resorts

Ski resorts in the Vosges:
- Alpine Skiing and Cross Country: Bussang Gérardmer, La Bresse, Red Grass, Ventron and Xonrupt Longmer
- Alpine skiing: Le Collet / Retournemer. 


Ski areas in the Upper Rhine
- Alpine Skiing and Cross Country: Grand-Ballon, the gorge, Le Bonhomme - Lac Blanc, Le Markstein, the Tanet, Schnepfenried;
- Alpine skiing: Dolleren, The Gaschney, Frenz, The Tanet;
- Cross Country: Three-Four.


Ski areas in the Lower Rhine
- Alpine skiing and cross country: Field of Fire, The Hohwald;
- Cross country skiing: The Donon, hall, Wangenbourg Narrows

In Alsace, the Christmas season spans six weeks, from November 25 to January 6 and has 3 main
Advent: and this is the period of waiting, preparation, Christmas markets ... The name comes from the Latin word adventus "what should happen"
The three days of the most celebrated holidays of the year
They begin on December 24 to 17 hours. The streets empty, shops and services close. In homes, it is active for the evening, the tree is planted in the Stub, The Christkindel and Hans Trapp will prodéder distribution of gifts to good children.
December 25, Christmas Day, we share a good meal, you can play, visit nurseries in churches.
December 26, the day of St Etienne, is a holiday in Alsace in memory of the event which marked the day in rural societies of the past: the renewal of employment contract.
Early years of the cycle or 12 days:
As its name suggests, it corresponds to 12 days between Christmas and Epiphany I Epiphany.

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The Origin of the Famous "Christmas Markets"
From the Middle Ages, appointments and organizing trade fairs are structured in major journals. There were usually two per year in early summer and early winter. These are our current clearance sales and big fairs.
The Christmas Market correspont with return of winter. Sometimes it was called Fair St Nicolas and St Catherine. It touvait generally all equipment in the life of the family and the practice of trades until the next fair, that of late spring, was called in general: Fair St John.
Thus, the approach of Christmas, there were toys, sweets, utensils and knickknacks patiserie necessary to the Christmas festivities.

The oldest in France: the Christmas Market in Strasbourg
Originally called St Nicolas Market, it became in 1570 in Christkindelsmärik (Market of the Child Jesus) under the influence of the Reformation, which introduced the prostestantisme in Alsace. Originally, this market was held during the three days preceding Christmas. Over the centuries, its duration was extended until today cover the period before the first Sunday of December 31. The Christmas market in Strasbourg the oldest and one of the Place Broglie. It has retained its original function, namely, a seasonal diversification for showmen.

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THE WAYS OF THE TIME OF ADVENT:
each day to custom ...
- November 25: Saint Catherine
She is the protector ds girls to marry. This is a very popular festival in the workshops. It offered a hat as extravagant as possible to young girls still single at age 25. Rappelns that the hat is a symbol of male authority ...

November 30: St. Andrew
He is venerated as the first of demon hunters! On almost ALL THAT timbered Alsatian houses the typical has at least one cross of St Andrew intended to eliminate the evil eye and to ensure the fertility of the household.
It also sponsors the girls to marry and his name is associated with divination very curious.
November 30 at midnight, turn off all lights except one! Scan your room backwards and watch the shadows looming on the walls: a sudden Suur you will recognize the silhouette of the husband waited and sometimes you will find his job!

December 4: St. Barbara
She is the patron of firefighters who are celebrating with great enthusiasm in all the villages of Alsace.
The custom is that family that day, we cut the branches of apple and they are put into a large vase in the house nice and warm and ... surprise! On Christmas Eve, twigs bloom! This is a sign of abundance for the coming year.

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FIR:
The symbolism that relates to the tree, is very powerful. It is the element that connects earth to heaven. Green foliage and persistent rasure because he recalled that the nature reborn. The colors are also decorates their meaning: the red of small apples, Christmas Christkindle, symbolizes the vital flow, the white of the forgotten or angel hair symbolizes the light.

CROWN OF ADVENT:
The Advent wreath represents hope and life continually repeated. It is a ritual that everyone can play at home: each of the four Sundays before Christmas, we light a candle crown. When the four candles are burning, it's nearly Christmas.
This is a very recent tradition. It is introduced in Alsace in the early twentieth century by a team Unionists Lutheran. Its origin is related to the party qu'organisait an institution for underprivileged children in northern Germany. As we approach Christmas, the pastor who led the institution used to meet his guests each night around a crown with 23
Candles. Over the years the scene of the crown has been enriched and diverse branches of fir, boxwood, cedar, red waves, small apples or pine cones, but the candles were reduced in number four representing the four Sundays Advent, the period before Christmas.


HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS BALL
By 1850, there was a severe drought. To replace the small red apples, the Christkindle, glassmakers Meisenthal had the idea of ​​blowing glass balls. Later, the technique was perfected and glass balls "mercurised" red, green, blue or silver were created and hung on the tree giving rise to the Christmas decor industry. An identical current was increased in Bohemia. Today, the center of International Glass Art Meisenthal reintroduced and continues this tradition by creating new models of blown glass balls.

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Christkindel OR FATHER CHRISTMAS

Organize appeared to distribute gifts on Christmas Eve. This requires a bit of staging. The character is standing in the living room next to the tree or with a bell that rings at the front door, the children will know that the Christinkdel or Father Christmas has arrived.
The children settled on the couch or the floor, the small ceremony can begin. Santa asks the children if they were wise, they know how to say a poem or sing a song. When children are executed on Santa distributes gifts and takes goes to visit other children. Christmas Eve continues ....

THE TRAPP OR HANS RUPELZ

Often Santa Claus is accompanied by HANS TRAPP.
This character hairy and rough, equipped with chains, screams constantly. This is the equivalent of Alsatian Bogeyman inspires terror to disobedient children, because the abominable Hans Trapp carries them in his big sack at the bottom of dark wood set the unfortunate never return
Legend has it that the castle Berwarstein, just steps from Wissembourg in northern Alsace, lived in the sixteenth century HANS VON DRATT, a bandit lord, fierce and sanginaire. He sought a quarrel with the whole neighborhood, fleecing travelers, rampaging cultures, removed the little children ... It was terrifying and the mother of Wissembourg and area became accustomed to threaten their disobedient children by telling them: If you are unwise, and Hans Drapp will carry you away ...

SAINT NICOLAS
On the night of December 5 to 6, he distributed sweets to the children: gingerbread with his effigy, oranges, candy ... Chocolate breakfast is, that day, and delicious little cakes in the shape of snowmen or the Manala Mennele. Saint Nicolas is often accompanied by a donkey. The traditional view is that the campaign placed a carrot or some hay with a bowl of water on the doorstep for the ass of Saint Nicolas.

AFTER CHRISTMAS - RITES AND CUSTOMS OF THE YEAR EARLY

-27 December: St. John Winter
This is a custom that will appeal to many dads and moms. Sebastian Brant already talking about its benefits in 1490! This is a wine to drink charms (usually a glass of Alsatian wine of course). According to legend, Saint John would drink a glass of poisoned wine without suffering any inconvenience. The wine drunk that day is supposed to keep you healthy and protect you and the evil spirits.

-28 December: Holy Innocents
And this is a custom that will appeal to many children! That day, children come to power, they are the ones who decide and provide the daily household, it is a kind of rite of passage. This custom would be attached to the flight into Egypt told in the Bible. : Return to Bethlehem,

Magi warned in a dream by an angel of evil intentions of King Herod, not passed over to his court. Herod, worried about having a rival, gave orders to kill all boys under one year. Fortunately, Joseph was able to lead Mary and the Child in Egypt

-31 December: New Year's Eve
No religious rite is not part of this night, this is twice the secular Christmas night. Whereas for the latter practice in our regions covered by the Vigil family, New Year's Eve or New Year's Eve is devoted to the extended family to friends, relations: one Christmas Eve with music, dancing, party favors large tables and A ... midnight, church bells are ringing, loudly we announce the new year with fireworks, hugs and good wishes.

Previously, in some areas, pull shots was almost mandatory. To show their manhood, young people had to obtain shots near the house of their beloved, there were more and more the feeling of love was great.
Another habit to express his love, quieter was to offer her the beautiful New Year Pretzel Plus it was great, was greatest feelings! For the sweet pretzels, gift ritual ultimate e, is associated with prosperity and fertility. Shape with a knot and three openings evokes the horizontal figure eight of infinity multiplying the benefits of living and health. Pass the pretzels node is already a guarantee of skill and know-how and consequently a promise of happiness.

-1st January: New Year
The vows, nodes ...
The nodes are of great importance in Alsace; célbre everyone knows the cap-shaped knot, symbol of the region. THE New Year, make and break nodes has a symbolic significance very original. Strasbourgeoise wanted a custom cords that offers the aediles: simple links or hemp colored ribbons tied. The recipient must untie the knots without difficulty, which augured its ability to solve everyday problems, or if it were a person with a particular responsibility in the life of the city, its ability to manage problems and to resolve conflicts.

-From January 2 to 5
Peace and quiet: it's time to visit nurseries

January 6: Epiphany
Epiphany: that day we are used to designate the King Day by performing the ritual familiar to the Galette des Rois. A bean is there trapped, whoever finds it is crowned Queen then chooses his or king. Legend has it that the Three Wise Men, Caspar, and Balthazar Melichior, in their long journey in pursuit of the star, went through Alsace. They stopped in a village and took refuge for the night at a particularly affable innkeeper. To thank him and show their admiration for this beautiful country, they have shaped the land instead of a cake pan recalling the lines of the mountains surrounding the village: the mold Kougelhopf
This is the Christmas cycle ends on January 6