Stephen& Emily Holden: An Austrian Christmas Eve

2.10.2014

An Austrian Christmas Eve

This last Christmas was definitely one I will always remember. Last year, I remember reading my parents letters from their mission describing how incredible Austria is at Christmas time. All the sights, the traditions, the incredible experiences they were having. This year, they truly brought an Austrian Christmas home to each one of us. I loved learning even more about this wonderful culture that is so much apart of who my parents are now.

In Austria, Christmas Eve is really the big day. The day when they celebrate everything and open presents. So with that, we had a big Dent family Austrian Christmas Eve. My mom had gone to great lengths to make sure that everything was original, and authentic. She had spent a lot of time just preparing the traditional Austrian dinner and found European markets in the area where you can only buy certain ingredients and foods. We enjoyed a variety of meats, bratwurst, spaetzle (an egg noodle/dumpling) pumpkin soup garnished with pumpkin oil and pumpkin seeds, rotkruat. (sweet & sour pickled red cabbage with green apples), semels (bread) and krapfen (Austrian donut with apricot filling...my favorite!) As well as some amazing little homemade cookies.

My mom busy in the kitchen with the preparations

Aren't these homemade cookies beautiful? And being so tiny...don't ask how many I ate....

After dinner they shared with us a tradition of the advent wreath. The preparation for Christmas begins four weeks prior to Christmas. A wreath is built with 4 candles. It is made to commemorate the arrival of Christ birth. Each Sunday a candle is lit in representing the four sundays before Christ's birth. A lot of their Christmas traditions in Austria revolve around Christ and counting down. All types of advent calendars are huge over there.

The room with the Christmas tree is to be kept hidden from everyone (and is usually set up and decorated on Christmas Eve) All the Christmas gifts are placed under the Christmas tree by Kristkindl "Christ Child" and are opened after dinner on Christmas Eve. The arrival of the gifts and lighting of the tree is announced by a bell. My parents kept the tree hidden from the grandkids. After dinner they explained the tradition and we sang christmas carols as they got things ready.

Then we heard the bell and the kids excitedly went into the other room.

Having a Christmas tree lit up with candles was something I'd heard about growing up. In fact we even had the candle stands that clipped onto the tree all growing up, but never used them. But seeing it in person, it seriously took my breath away. It was an incredible sight. These pictures truly don't do it justice.

Afterwards, we had our own Dent family Christmas Eve traditions of setting up the nativity and singing a song for each of the different pieces and of course singing Still Niche together in German. It's pretty neat to think that as each of us siblings were able to go and visit my parents on their mission. They took us all to the small and humble looking Still Nauche chapel where the beautiful song was first performed. Singing it that night with my entire family there was truly special.

Grandpa and Logan leading us in Still Niche

I love seeing all the grandkids excited at Grandma's feet.

Cousin Jenna helping Andrew put his nativity piece up.

Then we opened presents. My parents had brought home each of the daughters a traditional dirndle dress. Then of course each of the granddaughters received one as well. With 6 daughters/daughters-in-law and 10 granddaughters....that's a lot of dirndles and dirndle shopping. The grandsons each got a traditional austrian hat with feathers and the youngest boys got little lederhosens. So of course we had to all get dressed up and take tons and tons of pictures. Here's a few of my favorites!