The Annual Feuerzangenbowle Party 2016

"You know you're getting old when Santa starts looking younger." -- Robert Paul

The Thedens To Celebrate Friendship The A Feuerzangenbowle Party (Page One)

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home

Hans and Kerstin have again invited us to their beautiful home to celebrate the Christmas season with a Feuerzangenbowle. This is our fourth year of celebrating the day after Thanksgiving with the Thedens and friends and it is always a great affair.

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home

My Friends Let Me Explain: Die Feuerzangenbowle ("The Fire-Tongs Bowl" or "The Punch Bowl") is a 1944 German film, directed by Helmut Weiss and is based on the book of the same name. It follows the book closely as its author, Heinrich Spoerl, also wrote the script for the film.

Both tell the story of a famous writer going undercover as a student at a small town secondary school after his friends tell him that he missed out on the best part of growing up by being educated at home.

The story in the book takes place during the time of the Wilhelmine Empire in Germany. The movie was produced and released in Germany during the last years of World War II and has been called a "masterpiece of timeless, cheerful escapism."

The movie stars Heinz Rühmann in the role of the student Hans Pfeiffer, which is remarkable as Rühmann was already 42 years old at that time. The title comes from the German alcoholic tradition of Feuerzangenbowle.

In Summary ...


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Let The Festivities Begin

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home

Did You Know? - Germany has some of the loveliest Christmas and New Year's Eve traditions anywhere in the world. But one of my favorites has yet to catch on in this country, perhaps because of its daunting name: Feuerzangenbowle (literally "fire tong punch"). Pronounced "FOY-yer-tsahng-en-bowl-eh," this drink brings serious Gemütlichkeit to any gathering.

First, and most important, be sure your fire extinguisher has been recently recharged and is within easy reach. Feuerzangenbowle, like most great party drinks, involves an element of risk.

To make this delicious and heady punch, you set a cone of rum-soaked sugar aflame over some mulled wine. It melts into the wine, sweetening and strengthening it. Since you're adding a fair amount of sugar into the punch, it's best to use a very dry red wine.

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Hans and Kerstin had to re-arrange the house to accommodate all twenty of us!

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
They were well prepared!

An Old German Saying:

Es ist Zeit zum Feiern und zum Versammeln.
Ich hoffe das du deine Zeit mit den Personen verbringen kannst die dir am meisten bedeuten.
Ein frohes und festliches Weihnachtsfest!

English: It is a time for celebration and gatherings.
I wish that you may spend your time meaningfully with the people close to your heart.
Have a wonderful and merry Christmas!

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
"What do you think?" Brian replied "I think I have died and gone to heaven"

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Sue loves watching the reactions of the new arrivals

Quotation To Remember: Oh! lovely voices of the sky
Which hymned the Saviour's birth,
Are ye not singing still on high,
Ye that sang, "Peace on earth"?
~Felicia Hemans

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
"Do not worry... We had all the calories removed from each and every piece"

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
"Jeri and Paul (and Sue) worked together for many years at Boeing

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
"Jeri... It's been TEN years since we retired!"

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Sue and Ed exchange wine tips!

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Jan keeps and eye on the table

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
"Just wait until we pour the mulled wine"

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Jan and Ed catch up... Great to have Brian and Jan back home!

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Hans decided that Paul & Sue needed to try some "real sauerkraut"


Easy to make with the proper container

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home Archie is on the job!


WARNING: Official sampler at work

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Wine tasting well underway at the kitchen table

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Jan loves the blue skies and lack of rain...

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
The buzzards are circling the appetizers

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
"My glass has bubbles in it!"

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Kerstin carefully marks the glasses

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Swapping stories!

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
John just joins the girls... Best spot in the house!

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
The kitchen is always the meeting place!

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Guess who has a new toy?

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Great fun with delightful friends

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
The finer points of beer are being discussed!

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
"This crowd is easy... Everyone knows each other!"

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
"The Welch's grape juice is just fine...... hic"

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Jan and Kerstin discuss the problem of running during the Winter...
They found the problem

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Cyndy arrives... The party can now get underway

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
The serious look

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
"I am going to behave this year!  AND... I know about hangovers!"

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home

Quotation To Remember: May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!  ~Author Unknown

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
"Tis' the season of all smiles!"

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Looks like beards are catching! Paul wants to put a beard on his head...
Is that possible?

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Looks like Kerstin is surprised!

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
John in deep in concentration doing his "Thinker impersonation"

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Jan checks the dinner...

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Is this a Father-Daughter drink?


Bob reveals the latest Taco Bell secret receipt

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Oh dear... What are they up to?

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
The wine glass was this tall.... No, really!

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
"Tough sledding on the freeway.... NO snow!"

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
"What? You ran out of beer?"

Quotation To Remember: "Christ was born in the first century, yet he belongs to all centuries. He was born a Jew, yet He belongs to all races. He was born in Bethlehem, yet He belongs to all countries." -- George W. Truett

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
We can't get away with anything!

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Taking candid shots...

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home
Caught in the act!

The 2016 Feuerzangenbowle at Kertin and Hans home


The party continues and dinner is served