In der Weihnachtsbäckerei… following German Christmas tradition, the LVI and UIV (Year 12 and Year 9) have been busy baking some festive biscuits, which has been a long-held tradition in most German households in the run-up to the festivities.
Where this tradition comes from, no one can be sure. There are a number of stories around, one from the middle ages, in which the monks baked biscuits in the winter to give to the poor in order to spread some happiness. Another story mentions that biscuits only really became fashionable once the British tradition of ‘tea drinking’ had made its way across to the continent and tea was then served with biscuits. Wherever this tradition stems from, we have had some great fun baking traditional German Christmas biscuits. The LVI made some delicious ‘Mandelhörnchen’ (or almond horns), which are German marzipan-based cookies dipped in chocolate. Whereas the UIV baked and decorated some traditional ‘Butterplätzchen’ and ‘Vanillekipferl’, which was enjoyed by all. They even managed the challenge of deciphering the recipes in German and some of the UIV have only just started to learn German this term, very well done!
From all of us in the German Department, we wish you all ‘fröhliche Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr’!
Ms Melanie Davies, German Teacher