CHRISTMAS 2008
England: recovering meaningObjects and traditions with a strong religious significance like the “Advent wreath”, a candle and a calendar that help celebrate the time of the Advent, that commenced Sunday November 30, the tree of Jesse, the children’s service “Christingle” and the posada with which the crèche is passed in each parish home, or ethical gifts do be donated to relatives and friends representing hand-crafted objects from Third World Countries. Thus the Catholics of England and Wales recover Christmas’ central religious meaning, trying to contain its consumerist aspects. “Each year we teach Parish children to make a Christmas garland”, explained Angela Tunneys from the “Sacred Heart” parish in Loughborough, a city in Northern England. “They can bring it home with them and each Sunday they lit a candle with the rest of the family, before or after Mass, praying together”. In place of the Christmas tree, many parishes have made the “Jesse tree” – from the name of King David’s father -. The Jesse Tree is decorated with symbolic figures representing passages from the Bible, like the Tables of Moses, the Harp of King David, the small town of Bethlehem and Jonah’s whale. Many Catholic children receive the calendar of the Advent on which each night they open a “window” that reveals a passage from the Scriptures. “Every night, at dinner, I lit a candle of the Advent that brings back the meaning of Christmas. The time it takes for the candle to burn corresponds to the time of my dinner”, explained Veronica Yates, from the Catholic parish of St. Mary’s, in Loughborough. “World gifts” is another successful initiative promoted by CAFOD, the Catholic Church Third World Agency of England and Wales. “World gifts” encourages the faithful to make different presents such as a goat, a school-kit, a bicycle, an orchard, some chickens, and other similar objects to poor people who don’t live in the Western world. This year CAFOD asked its supporters to send a message to children in Bethlehem’s Basr School, for disabled pupils that enjoys the support of the charity’s donations. “The school’s officers told us that it’s the best way to help these children, who are living in a state of isolation. We thus prepared a special heart-shaped card that can be used on the Internet”, explained Liz Hulme, one of the initiative’s promoters.Germany and Austria: the feast of joyLike every year, initiatives for Christmas are in full progress. The period of the Advent, that enjoys much public participation in German-speaking Countries, is the occasion to reflect on faith, also making the most of the latest technologies and seeking new ways to reflect over the mystery of the birth of Jesus. In this framework, the 12th edition of the “Advent and Christmas Calendar of Munich” will be published. This pocket-sized book provides information on the Masses and on the major Christmas celebrations held throughout Munich’s churches. The calendar is illustrated with frescos representing Christmas motifs from the Greek-Orthodox All Saints Church in Munich. The calendar includes also passages from the Orthodox liturgy. “The Calendar shows the bond with Munich’s Orthodox Church”, explained the publisher, father Elgelbert Dirnberger. An ecumenical calendar of the Advent conveyed through text messages: this is the initiative of the diocese of Magdeburg for the youth. For the first time, the Evangelical Church of Central Germany, the Church of the Anhalt and the diocese of Magdeburg, joined forces to offer the service for free. Christmas preparations are under way also in the archdiocese of Friburg, in the diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart and in the Evangelical Churches of Baden and Württemberg. “Advent online” is the ecumenical project providing e-mails with a passage from the Bible and a spiritual phrase. For the past seven years, the Parish of the Catholic University of Eichstätt has been preparing for Christmas with an original “living” Advent. In the campus, from Monday to Friday, starting December 1st, a door will open on the corridor leading to the university’s canteen and somebody – a student, a teacher, an employee or someone from outside – will offer a spiritual insight. The living Advent is traditionally held not only in Germany. In Oberneukirchen (Austria), for the past ten years 23 families have been opening their homes to children and adults in the Country. Why is Christmas celebrated? The answer lies in 2,300 advertising posters and in 600 luminous billboards posted across Austria: “Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day, a feast for all mankind”. The initiative is the result of the cooperation with Austria’s Catholic Church, advertising concessionaire “Epamedia” and of the advertising agency Jung von Matt/Donau.
