By Sr. M. Nenitas Derama, PDDM

This is my third Christmas in Germany, and it’s only now that I am beginning to understand the beautiful preparations that they make during Advent. At first, I found them all too hard and austere, especially on Christmas Day when no one could be seen on the streets and there is no sound. Everything is silent. ‘Wala man lang paputok at putukan.’

Advent

Christmas starts with the first Sunday of advent, and on that Saturday (the day before) at 4:30 A.M. all the bells of the chit churches are rung for 30 minutes. In Frankfurt the sound is do majestic, especially the bells of the Cathedral, which was once the seat of the Emperor’s Coronation. People came from far and near. They walk silently to hear the bells of the city. They meditate on the event that is about to come, as heralded by the bells. During the first week of Advent, they now begin to put up their Belen, adding different figures with particular messaged on them according to the liturgy each week of Advent, then once a week until Christmas, is the so-called Rasate Messe, which is similar to our Misa de Aguinaldo. After the mass their is breakfast with church people. During the breakfast we discuss different important issues in the church and in the world.
During these four weeks they prepare themselves thoroughly for the reception of the Word made flesh through a series of homilies, concerts, meditations; and also worked for the poor like the Christmas Weichmarths basar, the proceeds of which go to the Mission or to the homeless.

Magical Preparation

The people prepare themselves profoundly, and together with this preparation are the so-called Christmas markets in all cities, where in the evening families from near and far go to have their feast; they eat, drink and have merrymaking, like carnival time. But all these feasts happen an almost silent way, without yelling, shouting; you do not hear loud music. So, the feasting really is part of the preparation; come Christmas Day they no longer outside. They stay at home with their families and meditate on the event before the Belen. This year I have been truly enriched, for I now understand the meaning of their preparation, their Advent.