der Adventskranz

another german christmastime tradition:
der Adventskranz
by the picture above

you probably can guess what that means...
the Advent wreathsee, german is not so hard after all!

the wreath has 4 candles symbolizing the 4 sundays of advent, leading up until christmas. each sunday you light a new candle...as you can see above, only 2 have been lit thus far. some families say a little prayer when they light the candles...some sing a christmas song...it depends on that family's tradition. doing so helps us anticipate with reflection and joy the coming celebration of our dear savior's birth.

you see these advent wreaths everywhere:
in store windows

in the center of dining room tables
in restaurants
on the perch of some one's window
in schools
even hanging in our apartment foyer(yes, that's it above)
we each had to pay around $7 to contribute to it
and there are about 20 units in our apartment
geeeesh!

speaking of our apartment foyer, i have to show you how pretty part of it is (as it goes with our wreath theme). the entrance is a bevy of wreaths--on the tiles and up above as crown molding. it is so pretty, and the advent wreath along with the decor already in place look so beautiful together.

these apartment buildings in our area were built around 1906, and it's fun to peer in the window-paned front doors of them all and to sneak a peek at all of the ornate designs in each entry way--all so different yet so attractive. i love old things and am so glad all of this has been so lovingly maintained! i digress...

back to der Adventskranz...2 candles have now been burned...
this sunday it will make 3
the 4th sunday and then finally christmas will be here before we know it. hope you enjoyed your german culture lesson today!
happy advent to you!