5c: Christmas Decorations and English Traditions

Till Buurman photographed the handmade Advent decorations created by Class 5c, and we believe these decorative items should be shared with a wider audience. At the suggestion of their homeroom teacher, Jeannine Walter, the students set to work with great enthusiasm.

“Some children, for example, are very talented at folding stars using origami-style techniques,” says Jeannine Walter. This gave the 5c classroom (Room 310) a festive Christmas atmosphere.

Another Christmas tradition in the lower-grade classes where Jeannine Walter teaches English is the so-called “crackers,” which are part of the English tradition during Christmas dinner. These are crackers that the teacher presents to the Steinmühle students strung together like a necklace. When a cracker is opened, three things fly out with a pop, in keeping with English tradition: a paper crown, a toy, and a slip of paper with jokes and riddles. In early December, Jeannine Walter surprises the classes with the cracker chain, and during Advent, the students take turns opening a cracker. Each student’s name is drawn from a pot of names.