Geoff, the last Sunday before Advent here is the Sunday when German Protestants here commemorate the dead.
All Christmas activity used to be postponed until after that day. Today as most Christmas markets start that weekend already to get more business into one season  they make them close for that one day and some of the lights are not lit until the day after. (Christmas market in Dortmund starts this Thursday, is closed this Sunday though. The lights on the big Christmas tree will be lit Monday)
While most people now either don't know or don't care (because they don't go to church or so) many start earlier (some of my neighbors put up Christmas lights last week ) my mom for example is very strict about that. Then as soon as that Sunday was past we would dig out the Christmas and Advent things and decorate, bake etc. I suspect she still does it like that.
I am less organized and usually discover Saturday that Sunday the the first Sunday of Advent....

We always put our tree up christmas eve as part of our family tradition but i know so many friends that start to get busy the end of november, i used to work in Harrods and by september we were forced to think about christmas ahead of Hallows eve and guy fawkes, wrong very wrong

Also our lovely local church holds christingle, its absolutley wonderful, the church every year is full, standing room only someyears, its for the little ones, we all sing the familiar christmas caroles and a reminder of why we celebrate christmas itself, but the service ends with every child going to the front of the church and recieving a christingle, An orange ( represents the world) with a red ribbon around it, (blood of christ) it also has four cocktail sticks (represents the four seasons) with fruit on and a candle that stands proud in its centre (the light of christ) all the lights go down in the church and all the children sing Away in a manger, i cry every year x

Last edited by itsmarie (Mon 19 Nov 07 10:09pm)

Good luck Hotcookies, mine always tastes just lovely x

This year is going to be very different for us.

It's the first year when both myself and my wife are retired. This means that I won't have to lead worship at Christmas, and she doesn't have to be back in school for the January Term.

So - we are off to our house in the South of France! I've already ordered a goose down there for Christmas Day, and will be ordering everything else we need next week (it's good to have friends locally).

It wil be a mixed Anglo-French Christmas - I've not decided the menu yet, but it will include Mixnight Mass ar l'Eglise Catholique, le  Réveillon (midnight feast), an English Breakfast (Kidneys, Bacon and toast), Christmas morning at le Temple Protestant, then the Goose with roast potatoes, and all the (English) trimmings - (we have French friends joining us). We'll end up with with Christmas pudding (I'll be making it next Sunday).. (At that pont I suspect we shall collapse . In the evening, we'll be hosting an "Ex-Pats"  high tea (I'll be taking a real Stand Pie down, and some pickles), Charcuterie will be courtesy Mdm Trinquard, who does superb Bedarieux hams ).

Should be a good do

The rest of the week, and up to the 6th Jan, will be a round of friends, family and restaurants - sometimes all together. Wine will feature prominently - especially the AOC Faugeres (our cellar down there is full). We'll be be brekingi into  Rumtopf, which has been running all year. and sampling the recently revived Fines de Faugeres and the  Vin Passerille.

Well, I am a pudding virgin too! I have written my list and hopefully if the roads are ok I am going to try and get my shopping done.