Christmas Advent Mantel

Four Sundays before Christmas we start celebrating the advent by lighting the first candle of four (some cultures use five candles). Each week a candle is lit to remind us of the special arrival of the Christ child.  

The first candle is the Prophecy candle or Candle of Hope.  Reminding us of the prophecies of Christ in the scriptures and the hope that lies ahead.

The second candle is the Bethlehem candle or Candle of Preparation.  Bringing to our recollection the promise of Jesus being born in Bethlehem and the urgency for us to prepare our self for that special occasion.

The third candle is the Shepherd candle or Candle of Joy.  Lighting that candle should prompt us to think about the joyful message brought to the shepherds from heavenly hosts.

The fourth candle is the Angle candle or Candle of Love.  The message brought from the heavens was ultimately a message of Love that stirs hearts and changes lives.

Every year I find different ways to display my advent candles. The most traditional way to display them is using a wreath that is either hung up vertically or placed on a table with the four candles and some type of decorations.   But like I said, every year I try something new.  This year its old books, evergreens and white lights on my mantel.  I marked each candle with its number.  You can also mark them by their names or not mark them at all.  The old books I got at my local thrift store.  I added paint to some books and I also wrapped a few.   Bookmarks with Christmas sayings add a nice little detail. 

Stollen

Around this time, every year, I make my Oma's German Christmas cake. A savory bread/cake filled with raisins and candied fruit soaked in extracts. Oh how I wish you could smell it. The first sign of my most favorite holiday just around the corner.
My Oma Elisabet was one remarkable woman and its at Christmas time when I miss her the most.  What made her so remarkable is not just her survival during WWII and great strength to flee alone to Iceland with her three kids, but her very keen eye for beauty and capability to make something out of nothing.  She was always busy in the kitchen, sewing room or garage ... making things that would then delight her family, friends, neighbors and even journalist. 

 

Stollen baking would be a yearly tradition for her.  Whether it would be during the hardest of times or the best.  The hardest times would most likely have been during the war, where she would have to make due with what was available and walk with her Stollen to the bakery to have them baked there. Marked with her name, so as not to get them mixed up with the other women's Stollen.  And then her happiest years when all her kids and grand kids filled the living room for Christmas.  Her shelves filled with so many cookies, cakes and Stollen.  Always enough for her loved ones to stay and eat as long as their hearts desired.  Oma made Christmas !!! 

And so as she got older, one of the many things I feared missing when she would also be missed so dearly, was her Stollen.  I spent a whole Saturday with her, learning the right way to make Stollen. Oma's way.  There was no recipe, just her nose and magical touch.  So as I stood by her side kneading and listening, my husband wrote down "the recipe" for us to keep.

Here it is to you Oma ... it smells so sweet!!!

Remember moments sign

I'm pretty happy with the way my $4 piece of wood from the local thrift store turned out.  Reminding me this season to be grateful for every moment.  I did a little touch up on the paint.  Went from brownish colors to black and cream.  Stenciled the text with a paint pen - my new favorite craft item and added some fall colors for traditions sake.