1. Hannah Miller December 19 th, 2008

2. Hazelnut Cookies Ingredients: *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 1 cup plus 4 tsp powdered sugar 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp ground hazelnuts (you can also use almonds, coconut, or any other nuts) 2 egg whites baking wafers - 3 inches round (these crisp, flat wafers are widely used in European baking and are available in specialty food stores in the U.S.) Cooking: *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Mix together all ingredients. Use a teaspoon to drop small scoops of dough onto the baking wafers (the wafers make it easy to remove the cookies from the cookie sheet). Place on a cookie sheet on the second shelf from the bottom of the oven. Bake until golden brown at 350-375 F for 20 minutes.

3. German Customs Pickle ornament: parents hide pickle ornament in tree, and the child that finds it receives an extra something special from saint Nikolaus!!

4. ADVENT WREATHS!!! Lutheran custom made of bound fir twigs to which four candles are attached. One more candle is lit for each of the Advent Sundays. In large houses, shops, and in churches, these Advent wreaths hang from the ceiling, adorned with four fat red or yellow candles. This looks particularly splendid when the wreath is also decorated with red or violet ribbons. No one knows when the Advent wreath came to Germany and where it originated. It does not date back very far as a Christmas Custom but has already firmly established itself. Before the first Sunday in Advent you will see many, many Advent wreath in flower shops and nurseries. Pine and fir cones, little red mushrooms, or red and yellow ribbons are also attached to the green of the wreath.

5. Work cited http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/ worldxmas/germany.htm