By BETTY DOLCH
German A.F.S. Student

If you want to describe our customs, you have to start four weeks or four Sundays before Christmas. In Advent we have a wreath with four candles, one for each Sunday. We light one candle the first week, two the second, and so on. You will find wreaths also in most churches, schools, and stores. Many stores also have garland with light bulbs.

In some streets in the city you will find light ornaments across the street from house to house and bulbs in trees. In your own home you have pine and spruce branches with different ornaments, for example, straw stars or stars made of metal foil.

On December 5, in the evening we put out our boots, (mostly special ones) or stockings and wait for "Sankt Nikolaus" to put something in them. What you usually get are nuts, candies, fruit, or very little presents If the children are older, in many families they get the gifts in a dish.

Most little kids believe that the Christ child brought the presents, and only few believe that Santa Claus brings gifts.

If the kids are small, then you celebrate usually the Sundays in Advent with a little time in the evening. The parents read a story and sing songs and sit around the wreath.

In school, mostly each kid brings a candle and a little branch and on each Monday, we burn the candle; and kids from a chorus go around in the wings and sing a few songs and read a story.