Christmas in Zimmer-Bueter Family 1930’s to 1950’s and Santa at Zimmer Hardware in 1949

The Christmas ritual in the Zimmer – Bueter family was set before I was born. The family practiced the rituals of the Advent season, which was austere in order to prepare for the event of the birth of the Messiah. So Christmas Eve was not celebrated and the house was not decorated. That meant the my parents spent Christmas Eve after the children went to bed, decorating the house and tree, and putting out presents that Santa brought.

The mood of the Advent season is one of somber spiritual preparation that increases in joy with each day, and the gaudy “Christmas” commercialism that surrounds it in the Western world should be overcome as much as possible. The singing of Christmas carols (which comes earlier and earlier each year), the talk of “Christmas” as a present reality, the decorated trees and the parties — these things are “out of season” for Catholics; we should strive to keep the Seasons of Advent holy and penitential, always remembering, as they say, that “He is the reason for the Season.” Christmas trees shouldn’t be decorated (or at least lit) until Christmas morning because Advent itself should remain penitential. Mom, Dad and Grandma Bueter who lived with us even fasted during Advent. But to us children, the ritual of Christmas had Advent as penitential in that there were no Christmas decorations or any sign that they would happen until Christmas morning.

Later I would be aware that the night before Christmas was very tiring for Mom and Dad who would stay up practically all night decorating and cooking for Christmas.

When I was in high school, my father asked me to perform as Santa at the hardware store toyland during the Christmas season. I had a big advantage in the Santa knows when you’ve been bad or good with my nieces and I could impress them with my all-knowing knowledge. They were worried that year that Santa might not bring them anything.

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