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St Barbara
Saint of the day: Barbara, Arnold, Christian
Word of the day:

Preaching is not enough, you also have to collect money.
French

 

Saint Barbara was the daughter of a pagan officer. During his absence she converted to christianism. To honor Trinity, she had a third window made in her house and scraped a cross in the wall.

Her father, who loved her a lot, was shocked and brought her to court. But Barbara insisted on being a Christian.  When the judges would not sentence her, her father stabbed her to death. He was immediately struck by lightning.

Barbra statue made of transparent salt in the salt mine of Wieliczka

 A blooming branch at Christmas reminds of the birth of Jesus. Traditionally branches of a cherry tree are cut on St Barbara's day and put in a vase. White blossoms will pop up at Christmas.

If there are blossoms and girls to be married, they will find a husband within the year (Do not forget to show the branches at the window!).

St Barbara's day is a special day to miners who need a strong patron for their dangerous work. There are lots of Chapels bearing her name in the mines.

This is also the day when food and drinks were offered to the spirits of the mountain in exchange for digging up its treasures.

Barbara is the patroness of the artillery.

 

Anniversary: Wassily Kandinsky
four of our friends - two of our ancestors

 

From our family history:  On December 4, 1727 Levin Boethlingk was born in St. Petersburg as a son of Peter Boethlingk, a merchant coming from Lübeck. Levin was merchant and banker and directed the famous Boethlingk merchant company. One of his descendants married a Geymüller cousin, but he also employed our direct ancestor Peter Klein.