December 2008

Happy Winter Holidays to one and all!



I hope this little blogletter finds each of you happy, healthy and warm. As the holidays approach it becomes a time of great joy but also, I discovered, a time of some meloncholy when we think of those who are not near us or whom we miss at this time of year. I have, however, discovered that there is great joy in embracing the moment, celebrating where you are and appreciating those with whom you find yourself. There is so much to enjoy, I hope not to miss a single morsel of the season.



Since I last wrote I hosted a traditional American Thanksgiving in my apartment for 40 of my nearest and dearest friends. Just like last year, we had people who joined us who had never had an American Thanksgiving. Some had never had turkey, many had never eaten so much in their lives. We even managed to find a little American football on CNN and were able to laugh together while trying to explain the game to people who found no sport at all in running into each other and knocking each other down, just so they could carry a ball down the grass. We tried to explain that it was soccer for barbarians but the irony seemed a bit lost in the translation. Oh well, one can't always explain tradition. We had a great time and it was a great kick off to the holidays.



The cold weather, snow and Christmas lights have arrived in Vienna as I know they have in many parts of the world. It is fun to see that no matter where you may travel or where you may go, people find a very special way to celebrate the winter season. My muslim students are celebrating transitions with food and prayer, my Jewish students are excited for the candles of the menorah to be lit and whether it's Sankt Nicolaus, Peetz, or Krampus you await, it's a time of great joy and anticipation.



I thought it might be fun to share with you my experiences this month by sharing some of the Austria Christmas traditions. I've had fun experiencing new things and adding some of them to my own traditions and then sharing it all with wonderful friends. What a great life it is!



The Christmas lights were lit in the streets and neighborhoods of Vienna in early December and are beautiful to see each afternoon as I drive home from school. Now that daylight savings time is over it gets dark in Vienna at 4:15 in the afternoon. This makes it a little hard on the internal clock to figure out whether it's time to go shopping and exercising or if it's time to go to bed. Ooops, can't go to bed, it's only 5:30. Quite interesting.



Instead of going to bed it is popular to partake of the Christkindl Markts. These are little markets set up throughout the city which sell every imaginable form of decoration, gift and goody that you can imagine. I'm sure I told you about them last year. This year, since I'm a veteran Christmas market shopper, the focus is not on shopping, but on meeting friends at the markts and having a cup or six of Gluhwein or Punsch. Gluhwein is hot spiced wine and Puncsch is like hot fruit punch with a ton of alcohol and sugar in it. I recommend both highly. I discovered recently that they have tremendous medicinal powers as well. There is a tradition here in the mountains and countryside villages that before Sankt Nicolaus comes on December 6, his arch rival and alter ego, Krampus, comes and give sticks and coal to children who have been bad. I have been told that this tradition originated from Pagen ceremonies centuries ago when beings with long furry hair, faces like monsters with long curly horns, wearing giant cowbells ran through the city chasing the evil spirits away in preparation for the coming of winter. Well, this has transformed into a ritual known as Perchten. These big hairy monsters run through the towns wielding whips and sticks and hit those in their path as a way of chasing out the evil spirits. Thus, you are "beat" clean for the upcoming year. Well, not being one to shun a cultural experience, some friends and I went to a gathering where we knew the Perchten would be. It was amazing! Such a visual and cultural treat. There were about twenty of the beings, each armed with a horse tail sized whip made of leather strips (I'm told called a cat of nine tails) and a riding crop with a leather loop on the end. Those who are interested in having their evil spirits chased away take their whipping and become part of the ruckus. Well, let's just say that after 10 days my bruises and welts are healing nicely. I couldn't believe it. That night I had raised red welts on my leg and by morning it had turned into about 12 long, thin bruises marking the spots where the whip had driven out the evil spirits. I know it sounds barbaric, but in reality was very fun and the pain was greatly eased by the Punsch that is purchased for the victims of the Perchten's treatment by sympathetic friends. After a couple of those you really don't care whether you got beaten or not.



A much calmer and more palatable tradition is the Christmas concert. Free concerts of Christmas music pop up all over town and I have seen everything from American Gospel to classical instrumental to traditional Austrian acapella. It's been fabulous.



Parties are scheduled almost every night between now and Christmas. The holiday foods are fabulous and plentiful, and the economic woes of the time don't seem to be effecting the shoppers much. I live one block away from a busy shopping street and each Saturday in December they close down the street and leave it open just for shopping. I have never seen such hordes of people in my life. Shoulder to shoulder, one after another from sidewalk to sidewalk. I chose to either stay in my apartment or get on public transportation and leave the area all day. I don't dare move my car because if I do I will not find another parking place until sometime in the early morning hours of Monday.



There are a couple of interesting traditions I chose not to follow here but are worth noting. First of all, the carol Silent Night was written in Austria by a priest. It is a sacred tradition here that Silent Night is neither played nor sung EVER until Christmas eve. It is considered incredibly bad and horrible to play or sing it before then. This is a very sacred part of their Christmas beliefs. The other is that Santa Claus doesn't come here on Christmas eve. The one who comes on Christmas eve is the Christkind, the Christ child, and he is the one who brings the gifts. He is also the one who "surprises" the children and puts up the Christmas tree in the family home on Christmas eve. It is very rare indeed to find a decorated Christmas tree in an Austrian home prior to Christmas eve.



I am enjoying learning of these and many more traditions from around the world. I still shake my head in wonder sometimes when I think what a privalege it is to live in a place where such diversity is possible. I'm in heaven.

One other little fun event that I had the honor of attending was the National Independence Day Celebration on December 2 for the United Arab Emerates. The father of one of my students is the UAE Ambassador and I, along with my assistant, were invited guests to their formal celebration. It was quite the event with traditional Arabic foods, music and entertainment. Brian, my assistant, and I felt a little nervous but soon found the people, food and fun to be great. I am continually amazed at the different cultures and people I get to experience here.

I must also share with you that from the Austrian/European perspective there is much to celebrate this year. They are thrilled at the American's choice for president and there is much talk about how the world can once again start to look at the US with favorable eyes. I never realized, until living overseas, what a tremendous impact the US has on the rest of the world. Oh, I knew we were influential in terms of our military, money and politics, but I had no idea that our influence had such an effect on the ordinary people of the world. What happens in America REALLY, REALLY effects the rest of the world. I have become very encouraged and hopeful that once again the US has an opportunity to be looked upon with tremendous respect by the rest of the world. Let's all hope and pray for a more peaceful world in the upcoming year.



I am thrilled to be traveling to Colorado to spend Christmas with my family. I will only be home for two weeks but am looking forward to spending time with them and being able to enjoy the company of my incredibly special niece and nephew, sisters and mom. I don't know what your plans may be for the holidays but I do hope that they are filled with love, joy, health and safety for all of you.



I am currently sitting at my computer listening to Austrian Christmas music, looking at the lights on my tree and thinking about what I love most about the holdiays. I guess I have come to the conclusion that what I like best is the fact that for a short time during our busy, busy lives, we take the time to celebrate, find joy, show kindness and generosity and share wishes of love with family and friends. I hope that your holidays are filled with all of those things and that whatever your beliefs, traditions, hopes and joys may be, that you find peace and love in the season. I truly hope that the new year brings us all good news, good luck, good love and good life. Know that those things and so much more are my Christmas wishes for each of you.



I will close with a line from a Christmas carol which holds greater meaning for us all now than perhaps it ever has...



Peace on earth, goodwill toward all!

Jodie