The Rural Voice, 1981-12, Page 29Christmas Eve (as it will in 1983), the day
has added significance, because German
tradition adjudges December 24 the most
hallowed day of the year.
The Feldmans remember everyone in
their homeland leaving work at noon on
the day before Christmas. They also
remember the next two days being
holidays (though the second was not
referred to as Boxing Day).
Hans Feldman works hard up to that
day, and then he relaxes well into
January. There is always a certain amount
of barn work, of course, and usually some
sows with poor timing, but he tries to have
major projects out of the way and keeps
regular chores to a minimum.
In Germany there are church services
late in the afternoon, after which the
family returns home to discover a
fully -trimmed Christmas tree, which was
not there when they left the house. Often it
is father who stays home and works the
magic tree trick, says Hans.
At the Feldmans', the children, regard-
less of their age, are sent upstairs as soon
as supper is finished. Then Mom and Dad
hustle around and collect the gifts they
have been hiding for weeks. They pile
them under the tree, usually unwrapped.
The tree, by the way, never goes up
until the 24th. Hans grew up with a
"silver" tree, so the Feldmans' always is
silver: tinsel, silver balls, nut shells
sprayed silver. And it's always a fir, set
in sand and fed with a solution of warm
water, a domestic bleach and sugar.
There are no lights, at least the kind you
plug in, but there are between twelve and
twenty slender white candles. When they
are lit the children are called to the
livingroom.
For half an hour or so the family
members sing along with Christmas
records, nibble on cookies and sweets,
toast with coffee or liqueurs, and watch
the candles and sparklers flicker in time
wit their shadows. Then someone reads
the tags and gifts are distributed. The
night is usually a late one, and the
candles have long been snuffed before
everyone yawns their way to bed.
Christmas Day is fairly subdued for the
Feldmans, as Gertrud says, "a time to
rest." The major meal is at noon, and the
major meat is turkey. Mom and Dad
remember Christmas goose from their
childhood days and Hans still likes a taste
of it during the holiday season. Gertrud
usually cooks it for him between Christ-
mas and New Year's.
There might be some visiting in the
afternoon. That's when coffee is served
and along with it black forest cake,
whipped cream -topped pastries, and
cookies. The Feldman Christmas is
well-dressed with food, specifically rich,
calorie -soaked dessert. As Hans says,
leaning back and patting his stomach,
"Every Christmas 1 gain ten pounds and it
takes stone -picking in May to get rid of
them."
He'll sometimes begin his reducing
plan a little early, by going for a Christmas
Day hike or ski trek. And usually there's a
visit to the barn, for an hour or so. "I like
to spend a little time with the animals,"
says Hans, who freely admits his subscrip-
tion to something we have come to know as
"the Christmas spirit." He believes "It's
no hollow feeling."
From Christmas Day through to Jan-
uary 6, the celebrated date of the
Epiphany, the Feldmans try to light the
candles on their tree nightly, even for just
a few minutes. And while they are glowing
it's time for quiet reflection. The tree
comes down on the 7th.
As the Feldman children have grown up
there has been more interest in television
and pop music than in the Christmas
traditions of their parents. Now the
pendulum seems to be swinging the other
way. Peter says he wants his own tree in
Montreal but his landlord is having
reservations about lighted candles. He
may have to settle for the one at home.
The Feldmans may celebrate a little
differently than most of their neighbours,
but what they celebrate is certainly the
same. "Christmas is the warmth of people
together," says Gertrud, "not necessarily
just family but good friends, too. It's when
you try to be nice to everybody; at
Christmas you make a special effort. It's a
time to show people you love them. We
need something like that every now and
then. Otherwise we can become very
pessimistic.'
The Feldmans can't make Christmas
last forever, but for about five weeks each
year they give it a good shot.
German recipes
from the Feldmans
STOLLEN
[Christmas Cake]
500 g all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
Sift the above together onto a clean
surface.
200 g. sugar
2 eggs
Put sugar on top of flour and mix with
eggs into a paste.
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. bitter almond extract
1 tsp. rum extract
Mx into sugar and eggs
'/: lemon peel grated
1/4 tsp. ground cardamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Sprinkle over top of sugar and egg
mixture
125 g. butter cut into small pieces
50 g Ground suet
250 g. cottage cheese finely mashed
125 g. currants
125 g. raisins
125 g. ground almonds
40 g mixed peel
Pile on top of sugar and egg mixture.
Mix everything together with hands
and form into a round ball, flatten into a
circle about 12 in diameter. Fold in half
and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake
in preheated oven at 325°F for 75 - 90
min. until medium brown and inserted
knitting needle comes out clean.
Brush with melted butter while hot and
sift icing sugar over it till well coated.
LEBKUCHEN HERZEN
[Spicy Hearts]
25 g. melted butter
125 g. molasses
1 pinch salt
4 tbsp. milk
'/: tsp. rum extract
'/: tsp. ground anise
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Stir together well in a bowl
250 g, all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
Sift together
Stir 2/3 of flour mixture into liquids,
then knead in rest of flour with hands and
form into a ball. If dough is sticky, let
stand one hour.
Roll out dough to 34" thickness and cut
out hearts with cookie cutter. Place on
greased cookie sheet.
Bake in preheated oven at 350° F for 12
min.
100 g. icing sugar
15 g. cocoa
1-2 tsp. hot water
Mix into a ninny paste and brush on top
of hot hearts.
SPRITZGEBACKENES
[Pressed Cookies]
600 g butter- soft enough to beat in mixer
until fluffy.
500 g sugar- add and beat until very
seamy
1 egg- beat in to sugar butter mixture
1 tsp. bitter almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Mix both into sugar and butter mixture
250 g ground filbert nuts
1000 g all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
Sift together and mix into butter -sugar
and nut mixture. Knead dough with
hands until you have a smooth ball. Press
through cookie press and place on
greased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated
wen at 350° for 10-15 min. until light
brown.
RURAL VOICE/DECEMBER 1981 PG. 27