Christmas – Wienachten December 25th, 26th, and 27th
Epiphany – Helje Dree Kjeenijch (Day of the Three Holly Wise Men) January 6
Good Friday – Stelle Friedach (Quiet Friday)
Easter – Oostren Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
Ascension Day – Himmelfoat the 6th Thursday after Easter
Pentecost – Pinjsten the 7th Sunday after Easter and the Monday and Tuesday that follow
We call holidays Helje Doag (holy days) referring especially to those holidays with a three-day commemoration. We observe Easter Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, in the colonies during which we do not work or do business transactions. We also observe three days for Pentecost and three days for Christmas, in which there are church services on Sunday morning and Monday morning.
Low German families in Canada may miss school, work, and other appointments on these days.
We call the day before each of these holidays Helje Owent on these days there is no school in the colonies in Mexico. The whole family works hard to prepare for the holiday or holidays to follow.
On the third holiday the Tuesday, there are no church services so the ministers can have a free day to spend with their families.
Christmas – Wienachten is a three day holiday we call the first, second, and third day of Christmas. On Helje Owent too Wienachten (holy night) each child sat a bowl on the table by their spot where we ate. Christmas morning Santa had put gifts into the bowls such as peanuts, candy, store-bought cookies, socks, a handkerchief, material for a dress, and sometimes a toy. After church services, most people have family gatherings.
Epiphany – Helje Dree Kjeenijch (Day of the Three Holly Wise Men) we observe this one-day holiday on January 6.
Good Friday – Stelle Friedach (Quiet Friday) we observe Stelle Friedach as a one day holiday after church in the morning. Where Christ’s suffering is portrayed, we have a quiet lunch at home with our mom, dad, brothers, and sisters. There is no visiting in the afternoon, as on a regular Sunday, so there is hardly any traffic in the colonies at all it truly is a quiet Friday.
Easter – Oostren on Helje Owent too Oostren (the night before Easter) we made a little nest inside a bowl on the table. Easter Sunday morning there were Easter eggs and a little coke in the nest that the Oosta hos (Easter bunny) had put in for us then we would go outside yet and search for a bag of treats the Oosta hos (Easter bunny) had hidden for us.
Ascension Day – Himmelfoat is a one day holiday we observe, it is the 6th Thursday after Easter commemorating Jesus’ return to haven.
Pentecost – Pinjsten this is when the Old Colony youth are baptized, the only time of the year. Observing these three days to allow the bishops to visit all the Old Colony churches to perform the ceremony of baptism. If there are applicants still not baptized, they observe the following Sunday as well. After this, they wait until the following year for baptism.
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