Himmelfohrt

vun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(Maimoond 1999)

Nu ik hier schrief is Middelweken vör Himmelfohrt. Minschenkinners, in mien Kopp geiht dat hooch her. ,,Morgen is Himmelfohrt! du müß jo dien Kolumne noch schrieben, de Dönnersdag is jo een Fierdag!'' segg ik in mien Dinken to mi sülbst. Nu ober ran, un mol gau trüch mit mien Besinn in de Kinnertiet un Himmelfohrt vör söbentig Johrn lebennig warrn loten. Keen weet hüüttodoogs öberhaupt noch wat Himmelfohrt un Pingsten to bedüden hebbt? Will höpen, dat tominnst de Christen weet, wat disse Doog uns verkünnt. För de miehrsten Minschen, de in Lohn un Broot stoht, is Himmelfohrt een tosättlichen Fierdag. Warrt gau noch för den Freedag een Dag free nohm, un een langet Wekenenn is geben.

In mien Kinnertiet, un foken ok hüüt noch, is Himmelfohrt een Dag för de Mannslüüd op Tour to gohn mit Schinken un Köm. Neumt wörr de Dag ,,Vatertag''. Is bet hüüt hinto bi den Noom bleben. Och, hebbt wi Göörn uns freuher höögt, wenn de Kegelclubs or Sangvereens mit jümehrn Treckwogen vun Cranz her op den Diek or ok op de Stroot bi uns vörbikeumen. Se wüürn vergneugt un süngen uns olen, scheunen Volksleder. Inkiehrt wörr denn mierstiet bi Peter Prigg mit de Kegelbohn, or Buschkühl op 'n Diek mit den scheunen Goorn an de Est. Ierst wörr spiest. Rührei mit Schinken stünn bobenan bi de Gäst. Vun den mitbröchten Schinken sünd denn noch deftige Schieben dorto afsneen worrn. Ok de Köm schien to dat frisch tappt Beer veel to good to smecken. Ok wi Kinner sehn to, een poor Plück mit Kegelopstelln to verdeen. Wörr noch allns mit Hannen mookt. Dat güng to tweet un ümmer stünnenwies. Föfftig Penn för een Stünn wüür uns Lohn in 'n Dörchsnitt. Ok dor wüürn wi uns eenig, wi Kinner hebbt uns afleust, dormit alltohoop wat verdeen kunn'. Hebb foken den Rüch krumm moken müßt för föfftig Penn, ober stult wüürn wi, wenn wi Mudder een poor Groschen no Huus bröcht hebbt. Foken kregen wi ok een Sneed Swattbroot mit Schinken af. De Mannslüüd wüürn vergneugt un wörrn ümmer vergneugter, wiel se sik bi 't Kegeln Köm un Beer bannig good, ik meen foken to good, hebbt smecken loten. Wüür sachs vör männigeen swoor ruuttofinn dat de Konool al vull wüür. De Trüchweg no Hamborg wüür foken leeg un ik besinn mi, dat statts Schinken een Snapsliek in den Treckwogen to sehn wüür.

Jo, un denn dat Warrer! In mien Trüchdinken is kuum een Himmelfohrtsdag ohn een deftige Schuur mit Gewitter vun Heben koom. Or ok bloots een Floog Regen. Klatschnatt sünd de Vereens to Huus bi jümehr Froons ankoom. Bet op een poor Utnohm' gifft dat so een sinnlose Superee, Gott wees Loff un Dank, hüdigendoogs nich mihr. An Himmelfohrt warrt foken wat mit de Fomilje ünnernohm, or sik dat to Huus kommodig mookt. Uns Warrerpuggen seggt uns jo Doogs tovör dat Warrer an, un wi köönt in Rooh öberleggen, woans wi dissen Fierdag ,,Himmelfohrt'' tobringen müchen. Will höpen in Rooh un Freden.

Ascension Day

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(May 1999)

As I am sitting here writing it is Wednesday before Ascension Day. Goodness me! There's quite some commotion going on in my head. "It'll be Ascension Day tomorrow! And you've still got to write your column! After all, that Thursday will be a holiday!" I think to myself. Now snap to it, and think back to your childhood days to bring back to life Ascension Day seventy years ago! Who nowadays even knows the meaning of Ascension and Pentecost? I should hope that at least the Christians know what message these days give us. For most people who earn a living, Ascension Day means an extra day off. Make sure you take the Friday off too and you've got yourself a long weekend.

In the days of my childhood, and oftentimes still nowadays, Ascension Day used to be a day for men folk to go on outings with ham and kümmel. The day has been named "Father's Day." That's the name it still has. Boy! Did we kids love it when in those days the bowling clubs and glee clubs with their floats passed by our place along the dike or along the road on the way from Cranz! They'd be joyful and would be singing our lovely old folksongs. Most of the time they'd settle down at Peter Prigg's with its bowling alley, or at Buschkühl's on the dike with it's beautiful garden on the bank of the river Este. First they'd have something to eat. Scrambled eggs with ham used to be the guests' favorite dish. In addition they'd cut some generous slices off the ham they had brought with them. Also, the kümmel seemed to go all too well with the freshly tapped beer. And we children would make sure we'd make a few pennies by putting bowling pins back up. All that used to be done by hand. We'd do it in pairs, by the hour. On average, we'd earn fifty pfennigs per hour. In this regard, too, we'd come to an agreement. We children would take turns so every one of us could earn something. I'd do quite a bit of bending down for fifty pfennigs. But we'd be proud when we could take a few dimes back home to Mom. Oftentimes we'd also get a slice of black bread with ham. The men would be in a jolly mood and would get jollier as they kept enjoying kümmel and beer -- enjoying them a bit too much if you ask me. Quite a few of them would have a hard time realizing that they had reached capacity. In many cases the way home to Hamburg used to be pretty bad. I remember seeing on the floats "booze corpses" instead of ham.

Well, and then the weather! As I think back I remember hardly any Ascension Day without a heavy downpour with thunder and lightening, or just the occasional rain shower. The club members would be returning home to their wives soaked to the skin. Thank God that, with few exceptions, this type of senseless boozing doesn't take place anymore these days. Most people spend Ascension Day doing things with their families or relaxing at home. Our  [weather frogs =] weather people forecast the weather for us the day before, so we can decide how to spend this holiday, "Ascension Day." In peace and quiet I hope.

Himmel-Faard

fun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(Maimaand 1999)

Nuu ik hiir schriiv is Middel-weken foer Himmel-Faard. Minschen-kinners! In miin kop gait dat hoog her. ,,Morgen is Himmel-Faard! Duu muess jaa diin kolumne noch schriven! De Doenners-dag is jaa 'n fierdag!'' seg ik in miin dinken tou mii suelvst. Nuu aver ran, un maal gau trueg mit miin besinnen in de kinder-tiid un Himmelfaart foer seuventig jaren lebennig warren laten! Kein weett huyt tou daags euver-haupt noch wat Himmel-Faard un Pingsten tou beduyden hebt? Wil heupen dat tou mindst de Kristen weett wat disse daag' uns ferkuendt. Foer de meirsden minschen dei in loon un broot staat is Himmel-Faard 'n tou-setlichen fierdag. Wardt gau noch foer d'n Freidag ein dag frei namen, un 'n langet weken-en is geven.

In miin kinder-tiid, un faken ouk huyt noch, is Himmel-Faard een dag foer de mans-luyd op tuur tou gaan mit schinken un keum. Noymt woerd' de dag ,,Vatertag''. Is bet huyt hin tou bii d'n namen bleven. Och, hebt wii geuren uns froyer heugd wen de kegel-klubs or sang-fereins mit juem eren trek-wagen fun Cranz her op d'n diik or ouk op de straat bii uns foer bii koymen. Sei woyren fergnoygd un suengen uns olden, schoynen folks-leider. In-keird woerd' den meirsdtiid bii Peter Prigg mit de kegel-baan, or Buschkühl op d'n diik mit d'n schoynen gaarn an de Est. Eirsd woerd' spiisd. Ruyr-ai mit schinken stuend baven an bii de gest. Fun d'n mit-broechden schinken suend den noch deftige schiven daar tou af-sneen worren. Ouk de keum schiin tou dat frisch tapd beer feel tou goud tou smekken. Ouk wii kinder seien tou 'n paar pluek mit kegel op-stellen tou ferdeinen. Woerd' noch allens mit handen maakd. Dat gueng tou tweit un uemmer stuenden-wiis'. Foeftig pen foer ein stuend woyrd' uns loon in 'n doerch-snit. Ouk daar woyrden wii uns einig. Wii kinder hebt uns af-loysd daar mit al tou houp wat ferdeinen kunnen. Hev faken d'n rueg krum maken muesst foer foeftig pen. Aver stult woyren wii wen wii Mudder 'n paar groschen naa huus' broechd hebt. Faken kregen wii ouk 'n sneed swatbrood mit schinken af. De mans-luyd woyren fergnoygd un woerden uemmer fergnoygder wiil sei sik bii 't kegeln keum un beer bannig goud -- ik mein faken tou goud -- hebt smekken laten. Woyr sachs foer mennig ein swaar ruut tou finden dat de kanaal al ful woyr. De trueg-weg naa Hamborg woyr faken leig, un ik besin mii dat statts schinken 'n snaps-liik in d'n trek-wagen tou seien woyr.

Jaa, un den dat warrer! In miin trueg-dinken is kuum ein Himmel-Faardsdag aan 'n deftige schuur mit gewitter fun heven kamen, or ouk bloots 'n floug regen. Klatsch-nat suend de fereins tou huus' bii juem er frouens an-kamen. Bet op 'n paar uut-namen givt dat soo 'n sinn-lose superei -- Got wees' lov un dank -- huydigen-daags nich meir. An Himmel-Faard wardt faken wat mit de famiilje uenner-namen or sik dat tou huus' kommodig maakd. Uns warrer-puggen segt uns jaa daags tou foer dat warrer an, un wii keunt in rou euver-leggen wouans wii dissen fierdag ,,Himmel-Faard'' tou-bringen muechen. Wil heupen in rou un freden.

Ascension Day

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(May 1999)

As I am sitting here writing it is Wednesday before Ascension Day. Goodness me! There's quite some commotion going on in my head. "It'll be Ascension Day tomorrow! And you've still got to write your column! After all, that Thursday will be a holiday!" I think to myself. Now snap to it, and think back to your childhood days to bring back to life Ascension Day seventy years ago! Who nowadays even knows the meaning of Ascension and Pentecost? I should hope that at least the Christians know what message these days give us. For most people who earn a living, Ascension Day means an extra day off. Make sure you take the Friday off too and you've got yourself a long weekend.

In the days of my childhood, and oftentimes still nowadays, Ascension Day used to be a day for men folk to go on outings with ham and kümmel. The day has been named "Father's Day." That's the name it still has. Boy! Did we kids love it when in those days the bowling clubs and glee clubs with their floats passed by our place along the dike or along the road on the way from Cranz! They'd be joyful and would be singing our lovely old folksongs. Most of the time they'd settle down at Peter Prigg's with its bowling alley, or at Buschkühl's on the dike with it's beautiful garden on the bank of the river Este. First they'd have something to eat. Scrambled eggs with ham used to be the guests' favorite dish. In addition they'd cut some generous slices off the ham they had brought with them. Also, the kümmel seemed to go all too well with the freshly tapped beer. And we children would make sure we'd make a few pennies by putting bowling pins back up. All that used to be done by hand. We'd do it in pairs, by the hour. On average, we'd earn fifty pfennigs per hour. In this regard, too, we'd come to an agreement. We children would take turns so every one of us could earn something. I'd do quite a bit of bending down for fifty pfennigs. But we'd be proud when we could take a few dimes back home to Mom. Oftentimes we'd also get a slice of black bread with ham. The men would be in a jolly mood and would get jollier as they kept enjoying kümmel and beer -- enjoying them a bit too much if you ask me. Quite a few of them would have a hard time realizing that they had reached capacity. In many cases the way home to Hamburg used to be pretty bad. I remember seeing on the floats "booze corpses" instead of ham.

Well, and then the weather! As I think back I remember hardly any Ascension Day without a heavy downpour with thunder and lightening, or just the occasional rain shower. The club members would be returning home to their wives soaked to the skin. Thank God that, with few exceptions, this type of senseless boozing doesn't take place anymore these days. Most people spend Ascension Day doing things with their families or relaxing at home. Our  [weather frogs =] weather people forecast the weather for us the day before, so we can decide how to spend this holiday, "Ascension Day." In peace and quiet I hope.