ein Lichtlein brennt. This refers to the candles lit each Sunday in Advent on the traditional Advent wreath. I actually made these entries into my sketchbook last Sunday – the second Sunday in Advent. It was a grey, windy, rainy day. I ventured out for a walk, but turned back when the rain got harder. So I sat in the chair across from the window and sketched the view out.
View outside
That was sufficiently depressing to require something to lift the spirits. So I made myself a big mug of tea and ate some Zimtsterne that are one of my favourite Advent biscuits.
Zimtsterne
Plätzchen – biscuits – are one of the best traditions here in Germany concerning Christmas. Much as I love mince pies (and I’ve always made my own mincemeat to fill them with) I do enjoy the variety of biscuits that there is here. Before Advent starts all the women’s magazines are full of recipes for these wonderful little cookies. There are so many different recipes that you could probably have a different sort each day of Advent. I have baked them myself in the past, but there are always so many tins arriving into work and some really good ones available in the bakeries that I have to admit that I’ve become lazy. I shall have to dust off the recipes and the cookie cutters when I get to Spain as I shall have to continue the tradition without outside help.
P.S. Click on the thumbnails to see a larger image
