Happy Thanksgiving!
From all of us at Festung Europa, we wish our American readers a happy and festive Thanksgiving!
That being said, I guess I have pretty much completed my transition to European. I no longer celebrate the festival, primarily as it no longer fits in to the German schedule. It was not a sudden break with tradition, but came about gradually and unexpectedly. The last time we celebrated turkey day full-bore was in 2001, when we were still living in State College, Pennsylvania. Then, after the move overseas, we had the problem of 1) finding an appropriate turkey and 2) fitting the damn thing in the oven here, which is not as roomy as in America. So, we rather gave up. At first, we went out to eat on Thanksgiving, but soon, that even fizzled out. And, of course, Thanksgiving is not a day off from work here, so you have to take vacation to celebrate it. So is the death of tradition, slow and apathetic.
November in Germany is primarily a month for the dead anyway. I guess this is more appropriate than the way the dead are honored in America in any case, as the U.S. Memorial Day takes place when the weather is usually warm and sunny, the foliage is in full bloom and summer is just around the corner. It has turned more into a summer kick-off holiday than a contemplative one. November, on the other hand, sets a better mood for thinking about the end of life. The pleasant summer and golden days of early fall are forgotten, as the fogs and chills of November set in. The trees are naked, devoid of foliage. The north wind howls and the first snowflakes may fall. The ancient Germanic name for November is Nebelung, or the foggy month, which is quite fitting. The sun is travelling quite rapidly into its southern grave, making the days quite short, as we are above 50° latitude, similar to southern Canada. Darkness comes early, the light comes late, and the sunlight, when it does shine, lacks the strength to warm you at all.
So it is fitting that five German holidays honoring the dead are in November. The first, All Saint's Day, or Allerheiligen, on November 1st, is an official holiday in the Catholic regions such as Bavaria. There are usually ceremonies at the cemeteries on the evening of the 1st, where all the graves are lit with red candles. The next day, although not an official holiday off from work, is All Souls' Day, or Allerseelen. It is a day of prayer and remembrance of the dead, as is the Volkstrauertag, or National Day of Mourning, on the second Sunday before the first Sunday in Advent, which this year was last Sunday, November 19th. It is a day to honor the war dead and victims of war from all nations. Yesterday, November 22nd, was the Lutheran church's Buß- und Bettag, or Day of Atonement and Prayer, which falls on the Wednesday before the last Sunday of the Evangelical Lutheran Church's church year. And the upcoming Sunday is Totensonntag, or Sunday of the Dead, also called the Ewigkeitssonntag, or Eternity Sunday, in the Lutheran Church.
So, in spite of all this gloom and doom, enjoy your Thanksgiving festival. Eat lots of turkey and watch football. I will continue to be thankful, but November now turns my thoughts more toward the grave. Not to worry, though. Advent and Weihnachten, the blessed night of German Christmas, are just around the corner, as is the return of the sun with the winter solstice. The wheel of the year keeps on turning, just as the wheel of life.
That being said, I guess I have pretty much completed my transition to European. I no longer celebrate the festival, primarily as it no longer fits in to the German schedule. It was not a sudden break with tradition, but came about gradually and unexpectedly. The last time we celebrated turkey day full-bore was in 2001, when we were still living in State College, Pennsylvania. Then, after the move overseas, we had the problem of 1) finding an appropriate turkey and 2) fitting the damn thing in the oven here, which is not as roomy as in America. So, we rather gave up. At first, we went out to eat on Thanksgiving, but soon, that even fizzled out. And, of course, Thanksgiving is not a day off from work here, so you have to take vacation to celebrate it. So is the death of tradition, slow and apathetic.
November in Germany is primarily a month for the dead anyway. I guess this is more appropriate than the way the dead are honored in America in any case, as the U.S. Memorial Day takes place when the weather is usually warm and sunny, the foliage is in full bloom and summer is just around the corner. It has turned more into a summer kick-off holiday than a contemplative one. November, on the other hand, sets a better mood for thinking about the end of life. The pleasant summer and golden days of early fall are forgotten, as the fogs and chills of November set in. The trees are naked, devoid of foliage. The north wind howls and the first snowflakes may fall. The ancient Germanic name for November is Nebelung, or the foggy month, which is quite fitting. The sun is travelling quite rapidly into its southern grave, making the days quite short, as we are above 50° latitude, similar to southern Canada. Darkness comes early, the light comes late, and the sunlight, when it does shine, lacks the strength to warm you at all.
So it is fitting that five German holidays honoring the dead are in November. The first, All Saint's Day, or Allerheiligen, on November 1st, is an official holiday in the Catholic regions such as Bavaria. There are usually ceremonies at the cemeteries on the evening of the 1st, where all the graves are lit with red candles. The next day, although not an official holiday off from work, is All Souls' Day, or Allerseelen. It is a day of prayer and remembrance of the dead, as is the Volkstrauertag, or National Day of Mourning, on the second Sunday before the first Sunday in Advent, which this year was last Sunday, November 19th. It is a day to honor the war dead and victims of war from all nations. Yesterday, November 22nd, was the Lutheran church's Buß- und Bettag, or Day of Atonement and Prayer, which falls on the Wednesday before the last Sunday of the Evangelical Lutheran Church's church year. And the upcoming Sunday is Totensonntag, or Sunday of the Dead, also called the Ewigkeitssonntag, or Eternity Sunday, in the Lutheran Church.
So, in spite of all this gloom and doom, enjoy your Thanksgiving festival. Eat lots of turkey and watch football. I will continue to be thankful, but November now turns my thoughts more toward the grave. Not to worry, though. Advent and Weihnachten, the blessed night of German Christmas, are just around the corner, as is the return of the sun with the winter solstice. The wheel of the year keeps on turning, just as the wheel of life.
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