'frankenstein' Creation 
Not Totally Electrifying 
Review: 
Stage

Police Blotter 
The Following Incidents Were Reported By State And Local Police: 
Fire Ruled An Arson

Friday, December 25, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1D QUICK WORDS: GERMAN CHRISTMAS 





VISIT FROM ST. NICK -- St. Nicholas, the German-style gift-giver, visits
children at St. Nicholas-St. Mary's Grade School in Wilkes-Barre. Larry
Wesneski plays the role of the holiday visitor. St. Nicholas Church was
founded by German immigrants, and the Valley's German community is the heir to
a rich array of holiday tradition. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ********************* &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; By JERRY LYNOTT &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader Staff Writer &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 -- As a child, Elisabeth (Mollner) Mahally remembered awaiting a special
visitor on Christmas Eve in her native Germany. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She recalled sitting with her family in the parlor of their home near
Frankfurt, singing carols around the tree when "somebody rumbles on the door
and in comes Kriss Kringle." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Some 50 years later, the Trucksville resident admitted her father dressed
as the bearded gift-giver. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mahally said children would often make their Christmas gifts. The girls
would make decorations or needlepoint and the boys would go to the woods for
material for the manger (krippe). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The parents bought toys and clothes for their children; dolls for the girls
and trains for the boys. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Several weeks before Christmas, another gift giver came around. On Dec. 6,
St. Nicholas showed up with candy, cookies and fruit for the children. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Santa Claus gets his name from St. Nicholas, the fourth century bishop of
Myra in Asia Minor known for his generosity and caring. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Children looked forward to a visit from the benevolent bishop but dreaded
his sinister sidekick, Knecht Ruprecht, also known as Krampus. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ruprecht was there with a switch to swat any boy or girl who was naughty
and remind them they could be better. In some regions of Germany, Ruprecht
handed out twigs or coal instead of goodies. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Growing up in Berlin, Erhard Koller of Bear Creek recalled putting out a
boot on Dec. 5 for St. Nicholas to fill with sweet treats. "The bigger the
boot the better," Koller said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He also remembered trying to sneak a peek through the keyhole at the family
tree before Christmas Eve. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We were not allowed to see it until the final evening," Koller said,
adding that his parents decorated it behind the locked door of the parlor. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When finally revealed, the tree glowed with lit candles rather than
electric bulbs, he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The tree was decorated with edible treats like cookies, nuts, apples and
oranges," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On the "big raid day" on New Year's Day, the children were allowed to feast
on the ornamental goodies. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Christmas tree has its roots in Germany, Koller said. Germanic tribes
venerated the evergreen tree. Eventually Christians adapted the rite, bringing
the tree indoors. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Klaus and Heidi Holm, of Wilkes-Barre, keep the candle tradition lit in
their Christmas celebration. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Heidi Holm said they will light candles on their tree for a short time on
Christmas Eve. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Food, song and religious services are as much a part of the holiday season
as the tree and gift-giving. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Christmas Eve meal had 12 different items for the 12 Apostles, Mahally
said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Elisabeth Bolesta of Plymouth said her family bought the best fish and
cheeses for its evening meal. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bolesta said her family went to midnight Mass as did many others who lived
Mulheim, a suburb of Frankfurt. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On Christmas day, the family feasted on cooked goose, red cabbage and
dumplings or mashed potato. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The New Year's meal featured pork and sauerkraut for "good luck," she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Bolesta also reminisced about lebkuchen, gingerbread cookies baked for the
holidays. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wilkes-Barre resident Betty Stilp added mohn kuchen, poppy seed bread and
Christ stollen, a cake with raisins, nuts, candied lemon and orange peel to
the list of baked goods. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Stilp, whose relatives live in the Rhineland Phalz region in western part
of the country, said many of the traditional Christmas songs were written in
Germany. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Among them are: "Stille Nacht, Heilege Nacht" ("Silent Night, Holy Night");
"Ihr Kinderlein Kommet" ("Come Little Children"); and "O Tannenbaum" ("O Fir
Tree"). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TRIMMED HERE &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A local German club will sing those and other songs at St. Boniface Church,
Blackman Street, on Dec. 26. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Joseph Schwingen, a member of the Johann Paul Schott Chapter of the
American German Language and Cultural Society Inc., said the group will
perform at the 5 p.m. Mass. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He said they will sing: "Schonstes Kindlein" ("Most Beautiful Little
Child"); "Menschen Die Ihr Wart Verloren" ("Mankind Who Thought You Were
Lost"); and "O Du Liebes Jesuskind" ("O You Lovely Child Jesus").

Memories Of German Christmas Linger In The Valley 
In Germany, It's `frohe Liche Weihnachten' (merry Christmas) 
********************* 
Photo/courtesy Of St. Nicholas Church

Memories Of German Christmas Linger In The Valley In Germany, It's `frohe Liche Weihnachten' (merry Christmas) ********************* Photo/courtesy Of St. Nicholas Church