“Jetz kann Weihnachten kommen!” Now Christmas can commence!

Starting on the first weekend of Advent the Christmas markets in Bischofsheim and Gustavsburg open up and, despite this year's lack of snow, the Christmas spirit is evident. There's plenty of Glühwein and Currywürst being consumed.

Just a glance at one of the local papers, 'Lokal-Anzeiger für die Orte der Mainspitze', available in Crewe Library, shows the wealth of activities going on in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Senior Citizens evenings, theatre, concerts and of course the usual school events. It's a remarkable range considering the population of Bischofsheim is under 13,000.

Christmas itself starts on the 6th December, St. Nicholas Day, 'Nikolaustag'. On the night of 5th December children put their shoe or boot outside the door. St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, goes from house to house carrying a book containing details of the the children's misdeeds. He puts treats in the shoes of good children and only twigs in the shoes of naughty children.

The 11th November, is Saint Martin's Day. St. Martin was a Roman soldier who gave half his cloak to a beggar dying of cold. In a dream, he saw Jesus wearing the cloak. To celebrate his generosity there is a procession with children carrying paper lanterns. The evening ends with the traditional bonfire. Bischofsheim's infants had made lanterns with animal designs on them. The older children also had a procession led by Martin on his horse and wearing the cloak.

Lieselotte wants a cuddle.
Amongst all the other activities was the national 'Vorlesetag', a countrywide 'Reading Day' sponsored by the weekly paper 'Der Zeit'. The organisers believe being read to at an ealy age improves later performance in German and Maths. In the Bischofsheim library the Mayor, Ulricke Steinbach, read 'Lieselotte bleibt wacht', 'Lieselotte stays awake', to a group of children and parents. In the picture book the cow, Lieselotte, can't sleep when the farmer's wife has finished reading the bedtime story. She thinks this is bcause she hasn't had a cuddle and wanders around the farm waking everyone up looking for one. The noise of everyone she has woken up finally sends her to sleep.