German Christmas Archives

Frohe Weihnachten

December 20, 2020 No Comments

Happy 4th Advent!

Svikki MD

Things are busy but well in the hospital. We kept our census at the hospital max or just grazing by it all week. We aren’t quite as COVID heavy as some of the surrounding hospitals but we try to offload the bigger facilities with better capabilities and care for less acute cases.

I felt a bit like a zombie for half the week. I didn’t sleep very well Monday night on Tuesday. Tuesday is my call day and I was woken up 5 times throughout the night about an admission of an acute care patient who was pretty sick but due to multiple factors, the patient stayed at our facility. I was woken up 7 times throughout the night about this patient the next night. So, after three consecutive nights of horrible sleep continuity and no chance to catch up during the day,… I looked a bit like death. Luckily, I had the patient stabilized enough by the next night that I didn’t receive any calls from the hospital throughout the night.

It really gives me an appreciation for all the rural docs out there who constantly manage their patients in the hospital and can be called at any time. Not too many jobs that essentially keep you on the clock 24/7. It also made me miss residency hour protection and resident wellness. There are unfortunately a lot of residency programs that still don’t prioritize resident wellness. My residency was amazing at this and I would’ve been given the option to go home after that 2nd horrible night and probably would’ve been sent home even if I didn’t want to after that third night.

I’m gonna get dark and real for a second

A friend of mine recently posted that she was headed into her third 28-hour shift in less than two weeks without a day off. Medicine needs to change its culture of abuse of doctors. You wouldn’t want your pilot telling you at take-off that they haven’t slept in over 24 hours. How is that ok for doctors. Its torture. And there is plenty of data to show that medical errors increase significantly after a certain length of shift. We strive to practice evidence-based medicine, it’s time we live by that too. You aren’t a big shot because you work non-stop. It’s irresponsible and torture and the industry needs to get with it. Physician burnout and suicide is very much real… things need to change. And not just for residents. Attendings need protection too.

Christmas Traditions cont.

Ok, back to some fun Christmas things!

Weihnachtsbäckerei – Christmas bakery

Of course, people bake cookies with their kids here in the USA too. The types of cookies vary some. The thing I instantly have to think of when it comes to baking Christmas cookies however is a song! It’s called “In der Weihnachtsbäckerei” (In the Christmas Bakery) and is a song I listened to so much as a child while baking with my Oma and Great-great-aunt. Rolf Zuckowski is famous for his albums of children’s songs and it seems like he has a yearly performance of this song on TV. Take a look!

My mom was so great to send me a package with her homemade cookies. I’d be lying if I said they weren’t already half gone! Maybe next year I can share some of her recipes when we spend Christmas together. That way, you can make your own little taste of Germany!

Weihnachtspyramide – Christmas pyramid

This is a traditional decoration from the Erzgebirge region in Germany.

This form of folk art goes back as far as the Middle Ages and uses wood to make pyramid structures showing imagery from Christianity or nature. The windmill at the top is moved by the rising heat from the candles. This lets the motives move within the pyramid. It’s a beautiful sight when it’s up and running. My Opa would always set one up in the living room and I remember watching the little figures go round and round in the glistening lights of the candles. I can’t wait to celebrate Christmas in my grandparent’s house again. I know exactly where the Weihnachtspyramide is stored.

You can also find huge Weihnachtspyramiden at Christmas markets! Like this one below in Hannover.

Christmas itself … we do things a bit different

In Germany, Christmas is celebrated on the 24th of December – Heiligabend (Holy Night). Presents are usually opened that evening. We have always done it that way in our household too.

On the day of, we’d usually spend the day doing normal things. Since we had a bit of a hobby farm, my mornings were often spent taking care of the animals. My parents would start preparing and cooking dinner hours in advance. Dinner usually consisted of a duck/goose prepared by my dad and yummy German sides the vegetarian of the family could eat including Kartoffelklöße (potato dumplings) and Rotkohl (red cabbage). As the parents cooked, the kids would get ready for dinner by putting on something nice. The older we girls got, the more time was spent on hair and makeup.

We’d all sit together and enjoy our dinner. Afterward, we would often play board games together… just to draw out the suspense to opening Christmas presents a little more. When the time finally did come, we would gather around the couches by the fireplace and my mother would distribute the presents. After all the gifts were opened, we’d spend the rest of the evening preoccupied with our gifts before going to bed.

Celebrating on the 24th meant that we had to be pretty darn patient to see our friends again during Christmas break because they would be celebrating Christmas the next day.

In Germany, December 25th is considered the 1st holiday day and December 26th is the 2nd holiday day. In many parts, both days are considered official holidays so many people don’t have to go to work and shops are closed.

Christmas 2020

As with every year since graduating medical school, I will be working Christmas. During residency, I often offered to work Christmas because my older sister was a resident too so we would usually find one evening to coordinate as our Christmas evening. That then allowed me to take New Years’ off and do something fun for a few days. This year, I will be on call throughout the holiday as well. Once again, I’ll be taking New Years’ off. This will hopefully be the last year I work Christmas for a while. This year, I didn’t mind working because I knew I wouldn’t be traveling home. Starting next year, I want to properly spend Christmas with my family again. Being a locum physician, I have a much better chance at making that happen too.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Please be smart, be safe, and be kind to one another,… maybe a little extra this year while we continue to take this pandemic seriously.

mfg

Happiness, Locum

Glühwein & Kartoffelpuffer Please!

December 13, 2020 No Comments

Time really flies when you’re busy! How is it Sunday again already?

Svikki MD

I’m slowly morphing into a hospitalist. My clinic hours are now reduced to 1 PM-3 PM daily. The rest of the time I am in the hospital seeing my patients. I’ve asked for a small office to be put together for me. I didn’t want to keep occupying the nurses work stations and also needed my own space to be able to dictate and work without nursing bells constantly going off. Having an office on the floor will allow me to be close to the patients and nurses though. In all of the hospitals I worked at in Germany, the doctor’s office was on the floor with the patient rooms.

During residency, our office space was in the office building next to the hospital. That creates a lot of distance between you and your patients and staff. During residency, we’d often only be on the floors to pre-round and rounds with the attending. We would manage everything else over the phone or computer from our workroom throughout the day. That made it feel more like an office job than a clinical one. So, I am happy to be getting a little space on the floor to be amongst the action.

My census has remained pretty stable at 7-8 patients. A few of my swing bed patients feel more like acute care patients with things that have come up throughout the week. Having sufficient time in the hospital has made these changes very manageable however.

More Christmas traditions!

It finally started to snow a bit again yesterday. I find snow totally appropriate in the middle of December and welcome it. Having my tree up since last weekend and turning it on first thing when I get home has been really nice.

Christkindlmarkt – Weihnachtsmarkt

If we weren’t in a pandemic and I wasn’t in South Dakota, I’d be spending my evenings or weekends visiting the Christmas market! Germany is going into a new, stricter lockdown which probably won’t leave much room for Christmas markets this year. And honestly, it’s ok,…we can go one year without. Living in the USA, I’ve gone many Christmas seasons without visiting one and I have survived. It’s for the greater good.

Historical background

The forerunner of the Christmas market as we know it was Vienna’s December Market in the middle ages. It was first recorded in 1298, when citizens were granted permission to hold a Krippenmarkt during Advent. Open-air winter street markets were associated more specifically with Christmas in Germany, with the first Christkindlmarkt taking place a century later, in 1384. This was in the eastern hilltop town of Bautzen, Saxony. These early markets started by only selling meat but evolved to provide other everyday purchases, and eventually seasonal treats, decorations and crafts – accompanied by singing and dancing.
The Guardian – 11/29/2018

Growing up in Wisconsin, my family had the annual tradition of us all packing into the Suburban and driving to Chicago to visit the Christkindlmarkt there. I believe it’s the biggest Christmas market in the US with authentic German/Austrian/Swiss vendors. While living in Germany, we would go to the Christmas market so often after work and on the weekends. We would go to different towns to check out the different markets! Besides browsing the stands for little gifts or ornaments, there are a few must consume items.

Glühwein – mulled spiced wine! Makes you feel warm and happy inside. The non-alcoholic versions are pretty good too. It’s not just about the contents of the mug but very much about the mug itself. You pay a deposit on the mug that you would get back if you give it back. We would collect a mug each year to take home. During Medical school, we collected the glass mugs and played Glühwein-Pong with them.
Kartoffelpuffer – potato pancakes! Greasy hot potato pancakes topped with sugar and dunked in apple sauce. I am a HUGE lover of potatoes in many forms, Kartoffelpuffer is high up on the list as one of my favorite.
Crepe – very thin pancakes! Although French in origin, these are often found on Christmas markets as well. You can get them sweet or savory. I’m an all-year-round crepe lover and it’s a must when visiting France, but during Christmas market times, it’s an easy and fast snack to eat between Glühwein.
Do you have any favorites when visiting a Christmas market? Let me know what they are in the comments section below!

Family Photos

Our family didn’t do the typical American Christmas holiday card. We did however, often try to come up with a reason to dress up pretty extra for Christmas. We had a year were we all dressed up as “royals” and another year we had a Christmas Prom theme, complete with pine tree and ornament corsages and boutonnieres. As children, we’d usually be put in matching outfits for a picture. I definitely plan to continue this tradition one day with my own children.

I’m going to head out on a little walk before snuggling into a warm blanket on my couch, lighting three candles on my Advent wreath, and watching a Christmas movie. I hope everyone is staying safe this holiday season! I’ll be back next weekend with more German and family Christmas traditions!

mfg

Happiness, Locum

Getting into the Spirit of Christmas

December 7, 2020 No Comments

It’s officially December and thus officially one of my favorite times of the year! Although Christmas looks much different this year around the world as years prior, I am still doing what I can to make it feel like Christmas time around me.

Svikki MD

My new schedule at work with hospital work in the morning and clinic in the afternoon is working out much better than what I was doing.

Inpatient

I had 8 of the 12 admitted patients on my census this week. I admitted three of them on my call day Tuesday. That was a busy day… I didn’t leave the office until 10:30 PM. My new schedule allows me to sit in on the regional hospital capacity calls. I hear about the patient numbers in the surrounding hospitals are, how many COVID patients each location has, and what the capacity of the facilities is to admit patients. In such a rural area, it’s nice to have an idea of just how hard it will be to transfer a patient if need be.

I also get to meet with the case manager, physical therapist, occupation therapist, pharmacy and nutrition daily and go through our census. I feel much more connected with the hospital staff now.

Outpatient

Now that I am only in the clinic for half a day, my schedule tends to be pretty full with patients. I still see a lot of the walk-ins (a lot with respiratory complaints), pre-operation evaluations and hospital/ED follow ups. I only have a few patients that I am following on a more regular basis. Being a locum physician that plans to switch locations every 6 months or so, I won’t ever have a whole lot of continuity with patients. That is something I’m giving up in such a setting. I quite enjoyed many of my residency patients, knowing I’d see them every couple months.

Vorweihnachtszeit

I mentioned “Vorweihnachtszeit” in a previous post when I experienced South Dakota snow for the first time. It means pre-Christmas time in German. Germans have many beautiful Christmas traditions. Let me share a few with you each week leading up to Christmas! I will preface this by saying that my family is not very religious or churchgoers. I like to say I grew up culturally Christian. Both Germany and the area I grew up in Wisconsin were mainly Christian and thus we celebrated many of the Christian holidays. As I’ve grown, traveled, and met many wonderful people and cultures, I have begun to celebrate other holidays from different religions and cultures with my friends.

Adventskalender – Advent calendar

An advent calendar comes in many forms and makes the countdown to Christmas fun every day! They were first used by German Lutherans in the 19th and 20th centuries. You can buy them pre-filled and quite inexpensively, filled with chocolate or other sweets. My favorite kind, however, are the homemade ones!

As a child, we had a large rectangular cloth that hung from the wall that had 24 little hoops on it. My mother would fill various treats or small gifts into little bags and hang them on the loops. Each day, one of us four children, would find the right number, untie the treats and share amongst the siblings.

A few years ago, my aunt made me an advent calendar by clipping little bags to a wire with numbered paperclips. I can’t wait to have kids to make advent calendars for!

Nikolaustag – Saint Nikolaus Day

December 6th is a day to celebrate Saint Nikolaus the Myra. During his lifetime (born 270 AD), he was known to have worked a lot of wonders. Nikolaus was known to be especially warm-hearted and helpful towards weaker people. He was known as a strict yet fair person (sounds pretty German to me lol). He would ask children if they had been good during the past year. If yes, they would receive a small gift. If not, they didn’t receive coal but rather were threatened to be put in a sack and carried away (…I don’t believe this actually ever happened and remained a threat).

Nowadays, children place one of their shoes or boots in front of the door on the night of December 5th to awaken the next morning to it being filled with treats, small gifts, and fruit! And yes, us greedy little kids would always look for the biggest, tallest boot we owned to put out. Again, can’t wait to have kids to continue this tradition!

Adventssonntag – Advent Sunday

The four Sundays leading up to Christmas are considered Advent Sundays. Certain branches of Christianity consider the six Sundays leading up to Christmas the Advent time. For most of Germany however, four Sundays are included. Sometimes, like this year, the first one actually happens in November. Last Sunday, November 29th, was the first Advent.

Many households will have a wreath adorned with 4 candles. Every week, an additional candle is lit. Traditionally, you might have friends and family come over for mulled wine, cookies, games and spending time together. During medical school, my friends and I would often take turns hosting the others.

As a young child living with my grandparents in Germany, I would grab a box filled with small Christmas decorations and adorn the wreath. While at the cabin last week, I collected branches from pine trees that had been cut down and made a wreath of my own out of them. I added four candles and some small ornaments and now diligently watch it when it’s lit because it looks like a fire ready to happen. LOL

My Weihnachtsbaum

I’ll talk about German Christmas trees specifically in a future post, but I did want to share the little tree I bought this weekend. I actually could have gotten a permit to cut down a tree in the Black Hills. That just seemed like a few too many steps for me this year… I’d have to buy a saw for starters. So instead, I went to Lowe’s and bought one. Remember the sweet St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store deal I talked about two weeks ago? The box of Christmas decorations for $10? They finally had their moment.

I didn’t have my own tree during medical school but I always came home for Christmas. When I lived in Miami, I was surrounded by lit up palm trees. I never had a tree during residency. So, I’m super excited to have one this year. In the future, I hope to have my tree decorated with more personal items, but this will do for this year.

One thing I love: Clearly Christmas time. And not the commercialness of it all. I love the hanging out with friends and family part, the decorations and traditions. The gifts are just a bonus.

One thing I ate: Christmas sugar cookie… and the season is just beginning.

One thing I’m grateful for: Traditions. They make me feel connected to my family and friends despite being hundreds if not thousands of miles away from them.

mfg