Angeli et amici: In Commemoratio S. Barbarae Virginis et Martyris

In the late 1960s many little girls playfully imagined that they were the purple suited, fiery wig wearing acrobatic adventurer Batgirl! Of course the tiny titans were also interestingly intrigued by her civilian identity as Police Commissioner Gordon's daughter who held the imposingly important job of Head Librarian of the Gotham City Library and whose name was Barbara.

Okay, I know that's not the most serious segue but what do you expect from this Joker? 

Switching Sixties screen symbolizations let us quoth from Around the Year with the Trapp Family by Maria Augusta Trapp regarding the Barbarazweig or Barbara Branch:  "On the fourth of December, unmarried members of the household are supposed to go out into the orchard and cut twigs from the cherry trees and put them into water. There is an old belief that whoever's cherry twig blossoms on Christmas Day can expect to get married in the following year. As most of us are always on tour at this time of the year, someone at home will be commissioned to "cut the cherry twigs." These will be put in a vase in a dark corner, each one with a name tag, and on Christmas Day they will be eagerly examined; and even if they are good for nothing else, they provide a nice table decoration for the Christmas dinner."

One of the medieval super-team known as the Fourteen Holy Helpers, St. Barbara is the patroness of artillerymen, military engineers, miners and others who work with explosives, fireworks manufacturers, firemen, stone masons and also of mathematicians; she is also invoked against sudden death, against fires, and against storms (especially lightning storms).  Her feast is celebrated by the British (Royal Artillery, RAF Armourers), Australian (Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, RAAF Armourers), Canadian (Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians (EOD), Canadian Air Force Armourers, Royal Canadian Artillery, Canadian Military Field Engineers, Royal Canadian Navy Weapons Engineering Technicians), New Zealand (RNZAF Armourers, RNZA, RNZN Gunners Branch) armed forces. Additionally, it's celebrated by Irish Defence Forces Artillery Regiments, Norwegian Armed Forces Artillery Battalion, United States Army and Marine Corps Field and Air Defense Artillery, many Marine Corps Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians, and other Artillery formations. In art she is usually depicted as standing by a tower with three windows, carrying a palm branch and a chalice, sometimes with cannons by her side.   Biff! Bam! Kapow! Mr. Screwtape

Angeli et amici: In Dominica I Adventus

Once upon a time this ridiculous redactor meandered over to a particularly pious and potent parish that is silently situated on a simple side street in the nice neighborhood that is the surviving successor to Kleindeutschland. As it was the Lord's Day one simply situated oneself in a back pew like a good practicing cradle Catholic and assiduously assisted at the august Sacrifice of the Mass. After the final hymn one stealthily slithered into the sacristy to chat with the reverend rector of said parish (who at one time was a minister in an ecclesial community that was founded by a renegade Augustinian monk). One cutely complimented..."Sensational Sermon! Catholic Content" (and then lowering one's voice an octave) "Lutheran Length....."

The most famous Lutheran convert in the Catholic Church today is a pious piece of pyrotechnics succinctly summarized forthwith by the admirably astute Austrian Jesuit Father Francis X. Weiser: "The Advent wreath originated a few hundred years ago among the Lutheran population in Eastern Germany. It seems to have been suggested by one of the many light symbols which were used in folklore at the end of November and beginning of December. At that season of the year our pre-Christian forefathers began to celebrate the month of Yule (December) with the burning of lights and fires. The Christians in medieval times kept many of these light and fire symbols alive but Christianized them. In the sixteenth century somebody conceived the fortunate inspiration of using such lights as a religious symbol of Advent in the houses of the Faithful. The practice quickly spread and was soon accepted among Catholics and Protestants alike. The Advent wreath is exactly what the word implies, a wreath of evergreens, made in various sizes. It is either suspended from the ceiling or placed on a table, usually in front of the family shrine. Fastened to the wreath are four candles (3 purple, 1 pink) standing upright, at equal distances. These candles represent the four weeks of Advent and the four thousand years from Adam to Christ. Daily at certain times, (usually in the evening), the family gathers for a short exercise of prayer. Every Sunday of Advent one more candle is lit until all four candles shed their cheerful light to announce the approaching birthday of the Lord. Before the prayer starts, all other lights are extinguished in the room, and only the gentle glow of the live candles illuminates the darkness."

Of course to complete the toasty Teuton typology one heartily recommends the entertaining elixir Eierlikör (German Egg Nog) 

Ingredients: 10 egg yolks; 1/4 liter water; 300 grams sugar; 1/4 liter cognac/brandy; a vanilla bean; 50 ccm of 90% spirits (alcohol).

Directions: Let the sugar and water dissolve, then cool. Beat the egg yolks into the sugar solution until creamy. Add the vanilla bean. Gradually beat in the cognac and spirits. Pour into nice bottles (using a strainer). Serve within a week as Eierlikör does not keep long.

Then you'll be able to flawlessly flatter family with: "Wir wünschen ein gesegnetes Adventszeit und Weihnachten"!

Okay, maybe not so flawlessly.

  
Mr. Screwtape