Reformationstag and Allerheiligen

Posted on October 30, 2019 by vanbraman

This week in Germany there are two religious holidays.

The first holiday is on Thursday. Reformationstag or Reformation Day is observed in the Protestant areas of Germany.

The second holiday is on Friday. Allerheiligen or All Saint’s Day is observed in the Catholic areas of Germany.

St. John's Church, Jena, Germany, Catholic Church BuildingJena, Germany, where I visit the most when I go to Germany, is in an area that celebrates both holidays.

I will start with Allerheiligen (All Saint’s Day). This holiday is for remembering and praying for church members or family who have passed away. Similar to Memorial Day they decorate the graves of the ones they are remembering. It is also a time for families to come together for meals and fellowship.

The picture above is of St. John’s Church where the Catholics of Jena worship.

Castle Church Wittenberg, Martin Luther, 95 theses, church doors, Mighty FortressReformationstag (Reformation Day) commemorates October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther posted his 95 Thesis to the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.

St. Michael Church, Jena, Germany, Martin LutherJena also has connections to Martin Luther as he preached at St. Michael which is the Stadtkirche or City Church.

Luther Original Grave Plate, St. Michael, Jena, Germany, Martin LutherInside the church building is what was to have been the grave plate for Martin Luther. There is an interesting story as to how it ended up in Jena. See: Luther’s Original Grave Plate

Martin Luther Grave, Grave Plate, Wittenberg, Germany, Castle ChurchMartin Luther is buried in the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. On the wall you can see a copy of the grave plate that is in Jena. The actual grave marker for Martin Luther is on the sandstone plinth and he is buried directly beneath it.

Martin Luther Grave, Castle Church, Wittenberg, GermanyHere is a close up of the grave plate.

You can read more about the grave of Martin Luther in my post Martin Luther’s Grave.

You can also find links to some of the other Reformation Day posts I have written through the past years at Reformation Day Posts.

Steven

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Lucky Charms Marshmallows

Posted on October 29, 2019 by vanbraman

I had seen in the news feeds that Lucky Charms Marshmallows were coming soon to the shelves of stores.

Jet Puffed, Craft, Marshmallows, Lucky CharmsI finally saw them last week in a store and decided to buy a package.

The marshmallows are made by Kraft’s Jet-Puffed division.

Jet Puffed, Kraft, Marshmallows, Lucky CharmsHere you can see the Lucky Charms shaped marshmallows.

Jet Puffed, Kraft, Marshmallows, Lucky CharmsThey are of course in the traditional Luck Charms shapes and colors.

Pink hearts, blue moons, green shamrocks and yellow stars.

Jet Puffed, Kraft, Marshmallows, Lucky CharmsThey are much larger than the small little marshmallows that you get in Lucky Charms.

I was really a bit disappointed. I thought that they would possibly have the same texture and taste as the marshmallows in Lucky Charms.

Instead, they are simply pain old marshmallows that are in the right colors and shapes. Which means the first few taste good and then they are too sweet. I will save them for an occasional treat and eat them just a few at a time.

Jet Puffed, Kraft, Marshmallows, Lucky CharmsBut, I did have to pull out my special cereal bowl and have a bowl of Lucky Charms. I put a set of the big marshmallows on top to show the size difference.

I have had this cereal bowl since I was a little kid. It was a butter container that was re-purposed as a cereal bowl. We had stacks of them, and I still have my favorite green one after all these years. It brings back so many memories when I use it.

Have you tried the Lucky Charms Marshmallows?

Steven

Posted in Culture, Food, Memories | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment