Christmastime in Austria

Merry Christmas!  We had a great first Christmas as a family in Austria. Here's our Christmas card photo taken a few weeks ago when we actually had some snow (now it's all gone - except for on the mountaintops!)

On Christmas Day it was just our family, our neighbors with three young boys, the four Sisters, one of the professors, and one priest. We had Mass at the Kartause and later that day had dinner at our neighbors' house. It was a relaxing and lovely day concluding with us all singing Silent Night (which was written in Austria, by the way).

On Christmas Eve Day, we distributed the Christmas cookies we made, decorated the Christmas tree, and made a gingerbread house. 

Christmas morning Ellie was very excited to discover that Rudolph had been to our house and eaten some of the carrot she left for him. And to find the choo-choo train and truck she had requested. Borrowing the idea from a friend, we each received three main gifts (like Baby Jesus received from the Wise Men) - J.O.Y.
J - a gift to bring you closer to Jesus. 

O - a gift to share with others. 

Y - a gift just for you.
There was a lot of joy in giving/receiving the presents!

We then sang Happy Birthday to Jesus, had birthday cake for breakfast, and walked to church. 

Today we drove about two hours away to Strobl, a village on Lake Wolfgangsee. Three villages around the lake have large Advent/Christmas Markets and the way you travel between them is by boat! We boarded a boat in Strobl and crossed the lake to St. Wolfgang. They all have huge and unique Nativity Scenes. Floating in front of St. Wolfgang is the huge Light of Peace Latern. We bought a little latern while we were there so that we can bring the Bethlehem Light into our home. There is a candle at the Kartause that was originally lit in Bethlehem during Advent and has made its way to Vienna and all throughout Austria and neighboring countries. You can read more about this beautiful tradition on the TOR Sisters' blog.

Happy Feast of the Holy Family from our family to yours!

Merry Christmas!!

Guests & Great Times in Gaming

We had our first guests in Gaming the past four days! My friends Janna and Karen, who I taught with for Teach For America, came to visit. We packed a lot in during the few days we were together (and they're continuing onto do much more during the rest of their Winter Break from teaching).

We started and ended our trip in Vienna at the Schönbrunn Palace, visiting the Advent Market, the Palace, and the Tiergarten (Zoo).  The zoo, founded as an imperial menagerie in 1752, is the oldest zoo in the world!  From its imperial baroque architecture to its 160 meter-long (and 10 meter-high) suspension bridge through the Vienna Woods to its polar bears, penguins, and reindeer -- it was all amazing!!

When we first arrived in Gaming it was dinner time, so we stopped in town for some kebabs -- and to our surprise ran into (and then ran from) 10 Krampuses (and other odd creatures)!! People had gathered to celebrate the Eve of the Winter Solstice and apparently the Krampus was invited. They followed us around - whipping the back of our knees, rubbing our heads, and posing for pictures. After about 30 minutes, they lit what looked like a big sparkler and smoke and then dropped down to the ground before removing their masks. Their falling to the ground symbolizes good overcoming evil. A little scary, but a fun way to welcome my friends to our often very quiet town!

They also got to do some hiking and enjoy the beautiful outdoors while in Gaming!

And, maybe the highlight of their stay, was skiing in the Alps! We went to Hochkar Resort about 45 minutes away and the views were amazing!! Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so I'll have to wait to share those photos.

Thanks so much for visiting!! 

Who's next?! :)

Sunday of Rejoicing!

Today is Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of rejoicing, aka the day the priest wears pink and we light the pink candle on the Advent wreath.

Because it's the day of rejoicing I won't tell you about the unpleasant events of the week - like how the stomach virus tore through the University and our home; how many times I cleaned up puke on the couch, beds, pillow pets, floor and clothes & how many loads of laundry I did; how we lost the iPhone we use as a white noise machine for the baby to sleep; how the toilet became clogged after the throw-up bowl had been emptied into it; how we found the phone - in the clogged toilet beneath the vomit; how many bathroom accidents we had and how many more loads of laundry I did after the sickness passed and we were back to potty training; how after one accident, before I could grab another pull-up, Ellie stood up and continued peeing and I told her we don't do that and she responded, "I'm a dog, I go where I want." No, because it's Gaudete Sunday, I will not tell you about that stuff ;)

Instead, I'll fill you in on some of the joyful Advent happenings here. 

Ellie loves watching these short daily Advent videos from HolyHeroes.com. Every day she opens a chocolate from her Advent calendar and asks to watch the video. I'm pretty sure she thinks she's FaceTiming with the children in the video...

Francis likes watching too! (Yes, he's holding his tau necklace blessed by Pope Francis). I'm sure he wouldn't move from that spot on the table...

Yeah right! He began full on crawling this week, and trying to stand up and climb over any barrier I put in his way. 

Inspired by her Holy Hero friends, Brian and Ellie made our Jesse Tree this year. She was very excited to go in the woods and find her tree with Daddy. 

She was also very excited to go to the Christmas tree farm in the next town over. Here's the tree she picked...

Here's how tall it is... 

So here's the tree she's actually getting (and she's not happy about it)...

We said goodbye to the students this week and that was/is super sad - I can't believe they're gone and they will be so missed! And we're saying goodbye to some of the faculty and staff that were only here for the semester, which is also sad and hard to imagine this place without them. But to send them off and to celebrate this day of REJOICING we had a big celebration with Mass, food, and talent show! Brian and Ellie kicked off the talent show with their medley of "I Believe I Can Fly/The Wheels on the Bus."

On this day of rejoicing, we give thanks for our many blessings - for the wonderful first semester we've had in beautiful Austria with the most amazing people, and most of all for our hope and joy found in Jesus Christ!

So now that we're halfway through Advent - we'll keep watch, the Lord is now nigh and close at hand! Rejoice!!

Advent Markets, St. Nicholas, and Krampus

The Season of Advent has arrived - and it's been a wonderful one in Austria so far!  It's quite a bit different from being in the U.S. at this time of year.  

There is no Santa Claus (instead there is Christkindl, blond child/girl with angelic wings, who is the gift-bringer on Christmas Eve) and no decorated Christmas trees in homes yet (apparently that happens on Christmas Eve, until then you can bring a tree home early but - as Brian was told today - you put in a corner in a bucket of water and then on Christmas Eve you put it in the wooden stand).  But there are a lot of wonderful (and some scary) new things to see!

First up - Advent/Christmas Markets!

Most towns have these wonderful markets - selling Christmas decorations, yummy treats, and Gluhwein (sweet, mulled wine).  The larger cities have huge markets and people from all over the world come to visit them.  With Christmas lights everywhere and music playing - it's SO much fun to walk through these winter wonderlands!  

We visited two of the markets in Vienna a couple of weeks ago....here are some pictures:

Viennese Christmas Market in front of City Hall (Rathausplatz) - the largest in Vienna

Yummy Treats!

Carousels and Rides for Ellie

Waldhaus (Forest House) - you can look inside the house and see Elves baking cookies!

The Nativity

Market at Maria-Theresien Platz

Ornaments to buy

The Advent Market in our town, Gaming, is right here at the Kartause where Brian works and students study.  Our Market only runs about 10 days (the ones in Vienna start before Advent and some go til after New Years).  Our courtyard holds the vendors selling Gluhwein, sausages, hot chocolate, crepes and more.  Inside the building are many different vendors - with ornaments, toys, scarves, Nativity Scenes, jewelry, and much more.  Some of the students classes are moved around to make room for everything - it's quite the place to go to school/work/church!!

Kartause Courtyard

Shops inside the Kartause ballroom

Teddy bears for sale!

Kartause Courtyard at night

Now for the scary part - the Krampus!

In case you haven't scene The Office Season 9: Episode 9: Dwight Christmas (we watched it on Netflix last night) lately - then you might want to watch it to get a glimpse of what we're experiencing.  On The Office you'll see them drinking Gluhwein and Dwight dressed as Pelznickel - the dark companion of St. Nicholas.

In Austria, St. Nicholas' companion who punishes the bad children on the eve of St. Nicholas Day is Krampus (he goes by Pelznickel, Knecht Ruprecht, Perchten, Black Peter, etc. in other neighboring countries).  As the tradition goes - Krampus (often intoxicated and bearing torches) punishes naughty children, swatting the with switches and rusty chains.  

Here at the Kartause, the Krampus come to the Market just during certain hours on Saturday nights - and apparently "perform" with lights and smoke before chasing people around with whips.  The students are instructed not to touch the Krampus.  We chose not to take Ellie and Francis to see the Krampus, but I snagged a couple of pictures from the students posing with the Krampus here in the courtyard.

Love at first sight ;)

Scary!!

Now onto - Jolly Old St. Nicholas!

Our neighbors came Christmas caroling tonight and delivered these homemade crafts and goodies for the Eve of St. Nicholas.  The cookies are Hungarian - because the mom is from Hungary - and that's what is so awesome about having neighbors/friends from not just the U.S. and Austria, but all over, so you get to experience many different traditions!

Like most people in Austria tonight, our shoes are left by the fireplace waiting for St. Nicholas!

Wait a minute....it looks like they've already been filled....and like that fire is really going....better go and move them before the Milka chocolate starts melting ;)

Happy St. Nicholas Day!  Happy Advent!!