Sunday, December 18, 2005

I'D LIKE TO TEACH THE WORLD TO SING...

Today's theme was music. Music was my companion at the Christmas Market, following me around to every booth and down each street. Spending the day surrounded by singing and playing Germans, the experience made me realize that the language barrier I've been facing while visiting here has some pretty big holes in it. After spending the morning at the Hamburg Christmas market, I sat on the train during the ride home, remembering the music I'd heard. I realized I'd never felt closer to the German people or more a part of what was happening here. Music helped me feel like less of an outsider. If I didn't know the songs, then at least I knew why they were singing them. The joy of Christmas is universal!

And tonight, when Dan brought me to the Adventskonzert (Christmas Concert) at St. Johannis Church in Buchholz, that feeling of connection, communion, communication...whatever... That feeling grew as the singers and musicians poured their hearts into the Christmas music. When they sang in Latin and German or played wordless melodies, they were communicating with a language much older than any other language on Earth, older than Earth itself: the language of Love.

Tonight, after we got home, Ellen sang a christmas song for me, and Daniel joined in. And I thanked God for the gift of Life, the gift of Music, the gift of Family, the gift of Love, the gift of Christmas, the gift that this day was! And now, I'm giving that gift to you. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Happy Anniversary!

I can see the resemblance...

...

...

The Sunday crowd got bigger as dark got nearer. Germans prefer the market at night so they can enjoy the lights.

...

the Rathaus (city hall)

The First Church of Burger King?

McDonalds tones down its signs a little here in Germany. Wonder if they will ever be a fast food nation...

This sign was so funny, I had to take a picture. Wonder what a Gothic Army Techno Punk would look like...

Christmas trees were literally around every corner...

A Russian Jazz Band played "When the Saints Go Marchin' In" among other numbers...

Music filled the air today - from every sidewalk and streetcorner!

Pardon me, sir, your top hat is dripping...

These life-size concrete statues were all over the district where the market is held...

Frying them up...

The finished product...

The sidewalks were less crowded on the fringes of the Xmas Market...

Checking out the candles...

Glorious gyros!

For you, Pauline, from Patrick

Ellen & Annette told me that it's every German girl's dream to get one of these cookies from her favorite boy. The girls hang them around their necks and wear them around the market!

...

...

The mother of all Christmas Pyramids!

Christmas Pyramids (aka Weihnachtspyramiden)

Of course the shop had nutcrackers, too. What would a Christmas Market be without them? And where are those sugar plum fairies?

The shop also featured this chorus of "smokers." I have one of these that looks like a toy maker. You burn incense cones inside their bellies, and white smoke puffs out of their mouths.

There was a 20 minute wait to get into the shop selling Christmas Pyramids like this one. They are hand-crafted in Germany.

German first graders get a cone like this yellow striped one full of goodies on the first day of school. I think the little girl is wearing a gingerbread man around her neck. I saw children wearing cookies on their necks at the Christmas market, but they were all heart-shaped.

Pauline, one of these is on its way to you!

Everywhere we went, people were drinking Gluhwein in special mugs.

Hamburger Weihnachtsmarkt