Given you celebrate Christmas, do you have a special name for December in your language?

We do in Switzerland. It is called Adventszyt in Swiss German or Adventszeit in German. This special time of the year starts with December 1st this year. That is today, hooray!

We have a tradition to make what is known as Adventskranz – Advent wreath – and light a new candle every Sunday for four weeks leading up to Christmas.

Adventszyt is a magical time for me and I love so many things about it that I started early this year and already listened to Christmas playlists (many times…) :0). What’s more, somewhen in late October comfy sitting on the lounge I intuitively started to fill out a candle-shaped form by handlettering some of my favourite goodies and things of the festive season 🤩.

Now I would like to share that light with you. My first version comes in German with some words in Swiss German. Especially the flame consists of names of some of our most famous Christmas cookies.

But there is one word even Swiss readers may not really understand. Can you guess which one? Let me help you and tell you about its origin.

It is Spanüggerli! I think it was most probably invented by my mother. Isn’t it mum :0)? When I was a child, Adventszyt meant we had a basket full of groundnuts, some clementines, and small colourfully wrapped chocolate delicacies standing in our living room. Since groundnuts also go by the name of Spanish nuts (Spanische Nüssli in German) here and my mum must have derived Spanüggerli from that. Maybe it helps to also know that the ending -li is an affectionate form and stands for everything small and/or cute in Swiss German. The most famous word probably being Gipfeli for croissant ;0).

Anyways, I tried to handletter another candle for you filled with words that hopefully relate to those of you who live in an English speaking country, that does celebrate Christmas and knows a festive season starting as early as Thanksgiving.

With those two twinkling candle lights I would like to wish all of you a magic and wonderful last month of the year. Take some time out for yourself and fill it with whatever feels like soulfood to you and warms your heart.

Maybe it is a time, too, to look back at 2019 and cherish the learnings life brought to us this year and be grateful for the joyful and lucky moments.

Let us give thanks and yield what we have sown.

With thankful and starlit greetings,

Daniela