Advent Celebrations 2012

Advent is a very special time in Schneller School. The week before the first Sunday in Advent, boys and girls of every Family (boarding home) make an advent wreath.
Martin Bernhard makes a beautiful big wreath for the church. On the first Sunday in Advent the youngest child of the boarding department present during the children's service lights the first candle on the Advent wreath.
Singing in evening chapel slowly shifts to Advent and Christmas hymns.
As is traditional in Lebanon St. Barbara's day is celebrated on the evening of 3 December. A special wheat porridge is offered for dessert after the evening meal in every boarding home. The very young boys and girls make masks to cover their faces, and they all go to the director's house in the evening singing traditional Lebanese rhymes at the end of which they all receive sweets. All kindergarten children of the Academic Department also make face masks and visit the director's office on St. Barbara's Day on December 4. They also receive sweets after singing those rhymes.
St. Nicolas Day is celebrated on 6 December during evening chapel. At the end of the chapel service Santa gives all students a bag of tangerines and nuts.
Advent and Christmas handcrafts are made by students to decorate their boarding homes.
An additional activity this year was the baking of biscuits in the boarding homes by children assisted by their educators (night-duty staff). Katja Buck, editor of Schneller Magazine reminded us how much children enjoy baking biscuits during advent, so we decided to add this wonderful activity to our advent season. The children were delighted to bake the biscuits, and of course, enjoyed eating them.
Both the Academic and Boarding departments prepare special programs to celebrate Christmas.
Some boarding homes lead evening chapel by various activities that include hymn singing, bible reading, pantomime, and prayer.
The older boys of the vocational department put up the Christmas tree in church and decorate it right after the second Sunday in Advent.
We thank all our students, teachers, and educators for all the wonderful activities during Advent.

We wish you all a blessed Advent season and a joyful Christmas time!