Day: December 23, 2023

2023 · 🎅🎄 Christmas 🎄🎅

The First Christmas Present 🐘

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Kevin and I met in a club, 23 years ago. He was with a couple of friends, who were friends with my friends. After a couple of drinks, we got into a conversation. When I was ready to go home, he gave me a ride to my apartment. Since he knew where I worked, he had shown up the next day. Usually, I don’t give people my phone number unless they ask or I ask for theirs. But when Kevin was standing in front of me, I said: “Dude, I forgot to give you my number last night. If you want to hang out, give me a call. Maybe we can do something for Christmas together.” Kevin agreed, folded the note, and left. The same night, he called me. And we were talking over a beer in a bar.

The next day was Christmas Eve. I was on vacation leave for the remaining days of the year. Months ago, a friend of mine and I planned a small Christmas dinner for the night before Christmas. I asked her if it was okay if I brought a friend over. She said: “Well, it’s Christmas. Nobody should celebrate this special holiday, alone.” Kevin picked me up from home. When I sat in the car and we talked a little bit, he opened the glove box and handed me a little present. I shook it, to hear what might be in there. Kevin screamed: “NOOOOOOOOOOO!” Later on, I found out, why he did that. Well, the little elephant lost part of its trunk, when I shook the little box. Even when the elephant doesn’t look perfect anymore. But it is a story worth talking about. It was very sweet of him since we had known each other for a couple of days. And it was the first gift, I got from Kevin. I still treasure these three wooden elephants to this very day.

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2023 · Germany · National Day Calendar

National Pfeffernüsse Day 2023

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Pfeffernüsse & Spices

Pfeffernüsse, known as ‘pepernoten’ or peppernuts, originated from Central Europe. A confectioner from Offenbach am Main, named Johann Fleischmann, is believed to have created the recipe in 1753. Since then, the cookie has become very popular, attracting the interest of many people, including renowned individuals like Felix Mendelssohn.

Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands are the countries most popularly known for this delicacy. In North America, the ethnic Mennonites are also very fond of pfeffernüsse. Today, the recipe is widely available and the cookie is widely consumed worldwide. However, pfeffernusse is traditionally reserved for the holiday period, around December. This is in keeping with the tradition of its origins, as the cookie has been associated with the celebration of Saint Nicholas Day and Christmas.

The traditional recipe consists of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, black pepper, mace, anise, sugar, butter, eggs, and flour. Popular nuts such as walnuts and almonds are also used to give the cookie some flavor. Leavening agents are applied to the mixture, kneaded, and then baked. They usually come out hard from the oven but would soften after a few days. Also, they are tiny and are sometimes shaped like nuts, which is probably why they are called peppernuts. Nowadays, bakers make alterations to this recipe to include some other ingredients or remove some existing ones. While they generally have a spicy taste, you can easily adjust the spice you want. On National Pfeffernüsse Day, homemade peppernuts are made available for the family and guests.

Resource: https://nationaltoday.com/national-pfeffernusse-day/

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