We wrote our names on pieces of paper and then we all pulled one ticket. You buy a little present for the child that you have drawn, but you don't tell it your name. Mostly we buy sweets or chocolate. We do that during four weeks. The name of this game is "Wichteln"  

On the second, third and fourth Sunday we light the other candles.  

We also have a Christmas concert. In November we begin with the rehearsals. We learn carols like "Silent night", "Die Engel sind..." and so on. The girls wear a black shirt and a white blouse. The boys are dressed in black trousers and a white shirt.  

Funda  

It's Christmas time!!!!  

When the snow falls I know that it will be Christmas soon.  

I like the Advent time. I have an Adventcalendar. That is a calendar with many sweets because at the biginning of December there are 24 days to go until Christmas. And in each field there is another sweet. And in the 24th field there is the biggest sweet!! In the Advent time we light 4 candles, one in the first week of December and one more every other week.  

On the 4th Advent Sunday all the pupils of our school sing a concert in a church. We sing many Christmas carols. We have to practice a lot. Many people come to our concert as spectators and listen to our music. My family comes too. And we also play the instruments to the songs.  

I like Christmas very much because the whole family is together and I get many presents. In the evening we have a very good meal.  

When the snow falls we often go out and play with the snow. We build iglus and snowmen. I often go to my friend Susanne and then we have snowball fights. That is very funny. Sometimes we go bobbing or skiing.  

It is a wonderful time!!!!!!!!  

Johanna

 On December 25th, people are celebrating the birth of JESUS - it is a time of silence and consciousness.  

The day before, at about midnight, people go to the matins to celebrate Jesus' birthday. This is after the people get their Christmas presents.  

The next day people sit together. They eat Christmas cakes, sing Christmas carols and so on. December the 26th is called "Stefanstag".  

I think all children like Christmas very much.  

Birgit  

Angela

 

I will tell you something about Christmas at my house. The wenty-fourth of December is our first Christmas day.  

On this day I stand up early and have a big breakfast with my mother and sister. Then I go to my room and pack the last presents that I have made and bought. Later I sometimes bake coockies with my mother. With my sitster I sing Cristmas songs. She plays the guitar and I play the violin. We often play together.  

At 4 p. m. our family goes to the children's Mess. This Mess takes an hour.  

Then we go home and decorate our christmas tree with candles and Christmas balls.  

In the evening my aunt, uncle and my grandfather come to our house. Then we eat together. When we have eaten our Christmas dinner we go to the living room and light the candles on the tree. We sing Christmas carols and I read the Christmas gospel. After that we have the distribution of the presents. Everyone of us get their presents. We unpack them and then we sit together and chat a little bit.  

Cindy  

Several weeks before X-mas I am very thrilled about what the big tree in the living room will look like and what my presents will be. My little brother always is very nervous. But at first we go to church alltogether. And after that we eat a fine Christmas dinner.  

My mum always tells my little brother that God is watching him all the time, so he is good.  

Claudia F. 

At midnight we often go to church. There is always a wonderful Christmas Mess. With our school we sing a Christmas concert in a monumental church. There we always sing many Christmas carols. After the concert we go to a pub and eat chips and cutlet. Then Christmas holidays begin!  

In our city there are always marvellous X-mas lights. These are many little lights that are hanging in the air. We always go to the city at twelve o'clock. Then these lights are shining.  

I like Christmas time!  

Eileen  

White Christmas  

Hello everybody, I'm back! My name is Susi and I like X-mas very much. At Christmas we normally have lots of snow. In the snow you can drive around on a bob or on skis.  

At the beginning of the Advent I have an "Advent Calendar". It has 24 fields, which can be opened. In these "saves" there are pieces of chocolate, that taste very good.  

I'm looking forward to Saint Nicolas Day on the 6th of December. We get some sweets and many other things then. It's great!  

And then we start counting the days to go until Christmas and we wait, wait, ...wait, ............................................  

Time goes by very slowly. Finally the dayof the days is there. In the morning I get up filled with a great feeling. We listen to Christmas carols and sing some of them ourselves.  

At school the Christmas time is a nice time, because then we start practicing for our Advent concert. I like singing very much! I love it!  

And then, when the Holy Night is there I light the candles in the Christmas tree and we start playing music then. I play some carols on the trumpet and my other family members sing them. It's beautiful. After this we get some nice presents.  

The X-mas tree is standing in the living room until my birthday on the 3rd of January.  

Merry Christmas to all of you!  

Susi  

 

Christmas in Austria  

If you want to know more about Christmas in Austria, please come with me ....  

In school we rehearse the Christmas carols we sing in an Advent concert in a very beautiful church. A lot of people come to listen to us. Then we wear a school uniform: a white blouse and a black skirt. Our conductor is our music teacher, Mr. Schwendinger.  

We have a crib and a Christmas tree. On December 24th in the morning we decorate the Christmas tree. In the afternoon we put presents under it.  

At about 19:00 hours we go to our grandmorther and have lunch. After that we sing   carols and then we open our presents. At Midnight we go to church. After that we drink bowl with some friends.  

Late at night we go to bed.  

Nicole   

On Christmas evening I get my presents from my family at three o'clock. In the evening we go to our grandparents. Then I get their presents.  

We always have a Christmas tree and a big, beautiful crib.  

At midnight we often go to church. There is always a marvellous Christmas Mess. With our school we sing a Christmas concert in a monumental church. There we always sing many christmas carols. After the concert we go to a pub and eat chips and cutlet.  

Then Christmas holydays begin. The first of January is New Year in Bregenz. Then we always have a big party in our house. Soon after midnight we phone all our friends and wish them a happy New Year.  

Claudia N.