[NOTE: Since I won't be able to update this site over the weekend, I've included several Christmas traditions instead of one. More to follow next week. Happy Holidays!]

The Barbara Branch Custom

Traditionally in the German-speaking countries, particularly in Austria and the Catholic regions of Germany, a small cherry branch is cut off and placed in water on December 4th, Barbaratag (St. Barbara's Day). Sometimes a twig from some other flowering plant or tree may be used: apple, forsythia, plum, lilac, or similar blossoms. But it is the cherry tree that is most customary and authentic. The cherry branch (Kirschzweig) or other cutting is then placed in water and kept in a warm room. If all goes well, on Christmas day the twig will display blossoms. If it blooms precisely on December 25th, this is regarded as a particularly good sign for the future.

Tradition, Three Kings, and Kris Kringle

Although we usually take today's Christmas celebration customs for granted, most of the so-called "traditional" Christmas practices only date back to the 19th century. Even the date of the celebration of Christ's birth has fluctuated. Until the Roman church adopted December 25 in the 4th century, January 6 was the day of celebration -- today's Epiphany or Heilige Drei KÃnige (the "Wise Men," "Three Kings," the Magi) in German. To this day, the initials of the Three Kings -- C+M+B (Caspar/Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) -- plus the year are inscribed in chalk over doorways in German-speaking countries on the eve of January 6 to protect house and home. (Although historically the three letters are supposed to come from the Latin phrase for "Christ bless this house" -- "Christus mansionem benedicat" -- few of the people practicing this custom are aware of this fact. In many parts of Europe, including Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, the Christmas celebration does not end until this date, now considered the arrival of the three "kings of the orient" in Bethlehem -- and the end of the "twelve days of Christmas" between Christmas and January 6.

Many "American" Christmas elements have come from German Europe. Kris Kringle is a corruption Christkindl ("Christ Child" - It is the Christkindl who brings gifts on Christmas Eve in Germany, not Santa!) And it was the German-American Thomas Nast (1840-1902) who gave us the modern image of Santa Claus (and the animal symbols for both the US Democratic and Republican parties!) in the 1860s. (Nast was born in Landau, Germany and came to the U.S. with his family as a young boy. His Christmas illustrations for Harper's Weekly were later published in book form and, along with Clement Clarke Moore's "The Night Before Christmas," helped establish our "jolly old elf" image of Santa -- not to be confused with St. Nikolaus. His day, Nikolaustag, is on December 6. One German Christmas custom the US has yet to adopt is the two-day celebration. The day after Christmas Day -- der zweite Weihnachtstag, known as Boxing Day in Britain -- is also a holiday in Germany.

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About a week or so ago I set up two holiday lunchs for work. The first one was with some of my co-workers [admins], whom I've had the pleasure of working with this past year or so. This lunch took place Wednesday afternoon in one of the small conference rooms we reserved. Wasn't a nice day outside [ie: rain & fog] so staying indoors suited us just fine. We picked up our lunches from the company cafeteria, back to the conference room and spent an enjoyable hour chatting about company events or gossip.

The second lunch [2 hrs long] was held at Bryant Park Grill yesterday with co-workers from current department I'm supporting. I'd never eaten at Bryant Park Grill before and was told food was very good and pleasing atmosphere. They weren't lying! There were 12 of us at a long table with views of the Craft Fair booths outside. The meal was delicious ... I had a mixed green salad with peas/mushoom/cheese ravioli and topped with a fantastic creamy roasted butternut squash sauce, plus a glass of white wine. The delightful, fun and witty conversations ranged from office topics to LOTRs critique and everything inbetween.

After work yesterday I had a one hour session with my personal trainer and he had some interesting bits of news. First of all, he broke up with his long time girlfriend and he's going back to England for a 1 to 3 week holiday. Whoa! Says I can utilize the cardio room discretely until he returns and my sessions start up again. I brought him a gift box of my homemade Xmas cookies. His fav being my version of Shortbread. Overall work has been abit quiet this week and will be even more so over next two weeks. Many folk take their vacation time at holidays to be with family. The company has officially given us staff December 26th and January 2nd off as paid holidays. Nothing like two four-day weekends in a row. Hell yeah!