December | Ida-lena Zoglmann
Schule Schloss Stein’s Advent market has been an integral part of the pre-Christmas season for many years – a tradition that unites our school community and brings people together far beyond the campus. Every year on the first weekend of Advent, the castle courtyard is transformed into an atmospheric place to meet, linger and reflect.
Days and weeks before the first Advent, festive anticipation is already in the air. Together with our pupils, the Christmas trees are decorated and the courtyard is lovingly adorned. Meanwhile, our janitors are hard at work: fairy lights are hung, Christmas trees are put up, stalls and huts are erected – often well into the evening.
The kitchen is also a hive of activity. Stollen, cakes and cookies are baked with great dedication, while hearty delicacies such as goulash soup and pumpkin soup are prepared at the same time. Steffi puts the finishing touches to the decorations and decorates the stalls with fir branches and red bows, giving the market its unmistakable appearance.
A particularly important component is the raffle, which is only possible thanks to the generous donations of numerous supporters. The prizes are carefully collected, sorted and counted. A well-rehearsed team works hand in hand in the so-called “Kuhstall”: Ms. Bammler, Ms. Sieber, Mr. Bachmann and Mr. Quast work hard to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
“We started our preparations days before the annual Steiner Advent market. We wrapped cookies and stollen, painted posters and finished our handicrafts. We were allowed to decorate the Christmas trees that our janitors had distributed around the grounds with red baubles.
On Saturday and Sunday, we worked in shifts at our Advent market stands. We baked and ate countless waffles. Our home-made pottery sold like hot cakes.
The highlight for us were the Krampuses. On the one hand a very scary visit, but on the other hand very exciting.
It was a fun weekend with lots of new experiences.”
Little girls & T. Eder
On the first weekend of Advent, the time had come: visitors from near and far were able to linger in the pre-Christmas castle courtyard, stroll through the numerous stalls and indulge in culinary delights.
There was a wide variety of food on offer: freshly baked waffles from the lower school, chestnuts, roasted almonds, hearty vegan and vegetarian dishes, classic Bosna, chips and even game burgers – there was something for everyone. The drinks huts were places where people could meet familiar faces and chat. It was particularly nice to see many Altstein residents of all ages again and to welcome them “home” on this special weekend.
The Advent market was accompanied by a festive supporting program. In the castle chapel, the Steiner school choir together with the school choir of the Stiftsgymnasium Wilhering (near Linz) provided musical highlights – organized and directed by Robert Rathwallner.
On Saturday, St. Nicholas also visited the children together with his elf. With warm words and little surprises from the sack, they brought a sparkle to the children’s eyes and many happy moments.
After the guests had left the campus on Saturday evening, our students rounded off the day with a big party in the school’s own club. Here, too, the special bond was evident: Altsteiner students stayed to chat with the Educators under whose care they themselves had lived here a few years ago.
The festive program continued on Sunday. The last raffle tickets were drawn until a very special highlight followed in the evening: The Advent market was traditionally brought to a close by the “Chiemgauer Erzdeifen”. With their impressive masks, skins, rods, bells and rattling chains, they symbolically drove away the evil spirits – an Alpine custom with a long tradition that fascinates anew every year.
This Advent weekend is something very special for our school community – and, as many of our visitors’ voices show, for them too. A feeling of cohesion, warmth and a lively community, made possible by the commitment of each individual.
We are particularly pleased to be able to donate our proceeds from the Advent market to Lebenshilfe Traunstein again this year.
