Germans love Christmas. Here is it called Weihnacht and the celebrations have begun.
We've been busy. Last weekend the girls had a gymnastics "recital" where their group dressed up as mice and did a cute little routine including the vault, beam and floor. They had a ball and you'll see them lined up in front of about 300 people. To our surprise they had to say their name and how old they were in front of everyone. We weren't quite prepared but they managed to do just fine although in English!
We've also started getting ready for Christmas with various events. We made 328 Icelandic Christmas cookies (yes, we counted, hmmmm....wonder if that was before they ate a few or after??) with our friends. They were kind of a like a spice cookie and the kids had a ball.
This past Friday we went downtown for Tubingen's annual Chocolate Fest (Europeans LOVE their chocolate - it is everywhere and usually in the form of candy, not cakes etc.). The kids participated in a chocolate making seminar. We didn't realize that the process took so long to do it right. You have to get it to the right temperature and consistency for molding. They managed to make beautiful chocolate bars complete with Gummi Bears (another German invention, needless to say they are not usually mixed in with chocolate!). Knowing the girls, I'm sure these works of art will never get eaten! They finished the candy making by letting them use the leftover chocolate mixed with warm milk for a great ending!
Germans love these outdoor festivals and the town area was beautifully lit complete with images of chocolate beans projected onto the buildings. Jay told me to go for the Chocolate massage but I prefer to eat it, not wear it. However...... some do wear it. The attached pictures shows a woman painting chocolate designs onto Marzipan dresses! (Marzipan is very popular here and they use it for everything. It is made from egg white, almond paste and sugar and molds really well.) There were booths full of chocolate everywhere. Our friend even bought some Chocolate Mustard!!
It was quite chilly and really started to feel like Christmas!! More Christmas festivals to come.... We will go to the Christmas Market downtown next weekend. A huge German tradition. The girls can't wait for it to snow and stick! So far, our weather has mostly been in the 40's for a high and usually doesn't get below freezing at night. We can't wait to hit those hills with our sleds! Mom included!
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