A Swiss Christmas

My theme for this week of Advent is "Striving to find unity and peace with all the people of the world". 

One way I love to do that is by learning about the traditions and beliefs of people throughout the world. In years past I've studied Mennonites, the Netherlands, Norway, Italy, and Mexico.

This year I decided to learn more about the advent customs in Switzerland, the ancestry of my mother's grandfather, Noah Hunsberger Jones. His earliest ancestors in this country were English Quakers (hence the name Jones) and Swiss-German Mennonites, both of whom left Pennsylvania for Canada after the Revolutionary war.

Agenda:

1. Research a Swiss Christmas

2. Light a candle for Unity

3. Read Heidi

4.  Make Basler Leckerli cookies

5. Plan a fondue party!

1. Research a Swiss Christmas:

The main thing is the snow: The rustic alpine villages, the lights, the markets, and the snow - it looks magical.

Switzerland has four official languages: Merry Christmas in Swiss German is Schöni Wiehnachte; in French it's Joyeux Noël; in Italian it's Buon Natale; and in Romansh it's Bellas festas da Nadal.

In Switzerland gifts might be given out three times: On December 6th by St Nicholas (known as Samichlaus); December 25th by the baby Jesus or Father Christmas; and on Epiphany by the Befana (in South Switzerland) and/or the Three Kings (in the rest of Switzerland).

Kerzenziehen (candle dipping) is a popular Swiss Christmas tradition for families. Every year from early November until the week just before Christmas, small halls and tents are set up around Switzerland for such events. There, people can make their own candles by dipping a wick into tubs of hot, molten bee's wax which comes in different colors.Children go Star Singing (caroling) from the last week of Advent until Epiphany, carrying a large star in front of them. The star represents the star that the Wisemen followed when they visited the baby Jesus.

Folks wait until Christmas Eve to decorate their Christmas Trees. Some people still use real candles on the tree, which are traditionally lit on Christmas Eve (when the presents are being opened) and on New Year's Eve (for good luck).

The main Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve and usually includes a Christmas ham and cheesy scalloped potatoes, with a walnut cake and Christmas cookies.

In the Bernese Oberland region, where my ancestors are from, people have processions known as the Trychle, starting on Christmas Day and finishing on New Year's Eve. People parade wearing a big Trychler (cow bell) or carrying drums, and normally wearing masks. They walk through the streets making lots of noise and are meant to scare the evil spirits away.

2. Light a candle for Unity:

For the first part of Soyal I am meditating and writing about each of my core values, and making plans for the coming year based on guidance from the Spirits. Today I am giving attention to Unity: My commitment to moving forward together with my community, with Light and Love, not letting our differences prevent cooperation.

I am lucky to have a strong community that supports my leadings, and when opposition pops up, I feel surrounded and grounded by our process and the spirit of love.

Today I light an orange candle for unity, and ask the Spirits to bring the rain of loving care down upon the whole world.

3. Read Heidi:

I was reminded that Heidi - one of my favorite childhood books -  is set in Switzerland, and I decided to reread it. I'd forgotten how religious it is. But, being now a grandmother, it has whole new meaning!

Not long after, and while it was still twilight, the grandfather also went to bed, for he was up every morning at sunrise, and the sun came climbing up over the mountains at a very early hour during these summer months. The wind grew so tempestuous during the night, and blew in such gusts against the walls, that the hut trembled and the old beams groaned and creaked. It came howling and wailing down the chimney like voices of those in pain, and it raged with such fury among the old fir trees that here and there a branch was snapped and fell. In the middle of the night the old man got up. "The child will be frightened," he murmured half aloud. He mounted the ladder and went and stood by the child's bed.

Outside the moon was struggling with the dark, fast-driving clouds, which at one moment left it clear and shining, and the next swept over it, and all again was dark. Just now the moonlight was falling through the round window straight on to Heidi's bed. She lay under the heavy coverlid, her cheeks rosy with sleep, her head peacefully resting on her little round arm, and with a happy expression on her baby face as if dreaming of something pleasant. The old man stood looking down on the sleeping child until the moon again disappeared behind the clouds and he could see no more, then he went back to bed.”

― Johanna Spyri, Heidi

 

4. Make Basler Leckerli:

Basler Leckerli means "little delicious things from Basel". And that is just what they are - chewy little cookies that are spicy and fruity at the same time. And they get better the longer they're stored! (They start out very hard but mellow with age, so make them well in advance of Christmas.)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. raw almonds
• 1/3 c. packed candied lemon peel
• 1/3 cup packed candied orange peel
• zest of one lemon and 1/2 orange
• 2 c. regular flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cups honey
• 1/2 cup sugar

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. kirsch or water

Yield: 4 dozen small bars

(I made my own candied orange rind the day before, following this recipe at Bright-Eyed Baker.)

This recipe is done in two parts, best done on two consecutive days.

1. Part one: Line a cookie pan with parchment paper that sticks up just one inch on each side.

2. Finely chop the almonds and candied peel, by hand or in the food processor. For the food processor, chop the almonds coarsely first, then add the orange peel and process together until they are evenly ground, with little chunks of the nuts still remaining.

3. Combine the chopped nuts, peel, lemon zest, flour, spices, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

4. Heat the honey and sugar in a small pot on the stove until the sugar is melted and the honey is warm. Do not allow it to boil.
Pour the hot honey over the flour mixture and mix until the batter is blended into a thick, sticky dough. It will be very firm.

5. Put dough into prepared pan. Using damp fingers (keep dipping them in water as needed), push and pat the dough into a 9" x 13" rectangle

of an even thickness. Work quickly while the dough is still warm, as it gets harder to work with as it cools. 

6. Poke a fork 1 to 2 inches apart all over the dough, straight down through to the pan. Allow the pan to rest at room temperature, covered with a clean dish towel, for two hours or up to overnight.

7. Part two: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake the cookies for 10 to 15 minutes, rotating them halfway and using a spatula to press down any parts of the dough that have bubbled or bulged up. The edges of the dough should just be starting to brown.

8. While the cookies are baking, whisk together the glaze ingredients. Brush the glaze all over the top of the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. While still warm, lift the cookie slab from the cookie pan using the parchment paper to hold onto, and transfer them onto a large cutting board. Cut the cookie slabs into 1" x 2" bars. Use a large, sharp knife and work quickly to cut the cookies while still warm, as they are hard to cut once they cool.

9. Cool and store in an airtight, covered container. The are best if left for at least a week to soften and mellow the flavours, but need a minimum of one day in the container before they should be eaten. The cookies will keep for up to two months, in a sealed container at cool room temperature and up to six months in the freezer (age at room temperature for one week before freezing). If you're storing the cookies at room temperature and they get too hard, put a few wedges of apple or some orange peels into the container with them and after a few days they will have softened considerably.

5. Plan a fondue party!

Fondue is popular in Switzerland for Christmas parties. Sometimes people write FIGUGEGL on party invitations, meaning Fondu isch guet und git e gueti Lune (fondue is good and gives a good mood).The tradition of eating fondue during Christmas began in the canton of Fribourg in the 18th century. 

Fondue is considered a symbol of unity, as it brings people together around the table. Fondue is also a combination of “Fondo” and “vola,” which means to fly in the air or go up into heaven. This reflects fondue as bringing people together from all walks of life during Christmas time.