ANNA TELLS ABOUT THEIR CHRISTMAS - SWEET POTATO PIE

We Amish have communion twice a year.  One is on Good Friday before Easter and the second is the Friday before Christmas.  Our Communion really starts four weeks before, when at church, Bishop Eli advises us that we must make preparation before communion Friday.  This means if we have hurt anyone, done anything to anyone, not forgiven anyone, we must do this two weeks before communion Sunday.  If anyone has any problems they can not handle, they are to see Bishop Eli, which means he is very busy.  Two weeks before Bishop Eli asks if anyone has any problems that have not been taken care of.  If so, communion Friday would be postponed until the problems are taken care of, but I never known for that to happen.

We fast from dinner on Thursday until after Communion on Friday.  Our Communion takes almost all day.  It starts at 9:00 AM in someone's home like all our services. Only members of the church can attend.  Children are not members of the church so can not attend nor outsiders.  We have a regular service with sermons on sinning, forgiveness, love for one another and alike.   After our service, any young folks or adults that are joining our church come forward and are baptized into the church.  They will receive their first communion with us.

When baptism is done, Bishop Eli asks one last time before communion if there are any problems that need to be settled.  Is everyone forgive and have forgiven?  We all answer yes.  Then we have the washing of the feet.  I will wash the feet of the lady sitting next to me and Elmer will wash the feet of the man sitting next to him.  When we are done, the person sitting next to us will wash our feet.  After the feet washing we stand and kiss the person that washed our feet on both cheeks, they do the same for us.  It is to show us humble.

Again there are prayers and sermons on how the Lord died for our sins.  How He has suffered for us and died for us. He also explains that the bread represents Jesus flesh, and the juice His Blood.  Bishop then comes around with the communion which is pieces of flat bread that some of the ladies made and cut before today.  Bishop asks each person if we have forgiven and are forgiven.  When we say yes, he hands us the piece of bread which we eat in front of him and he goes to the next person.  After he has been around to everyone with the bread, he goes around again with the juice.  Some Amish use wine, but we use grape juice.

When Communion is over we thank the Lord for giving us His son and thank Him for dying for our sins.  We pray that we will live the way the Lord wishes us to.  That we are kind to others.  That we will try not to sin again, but know we will because we are sinners. but know that Jesus died for us. He also rose from the dead for us.  We thank and praise the Lord for all He has done for us.

By the time, communion is over, it is time to go home and do milking.  Elmer does the milking and I have a casserole made that I can put it the oven and have ready for dinner.  After dinner we usually discuss the sermons, maybe look up passages and pray.  We go to bed early as it is an exhausting day.

As Sunday before Christmas is a church week this year, we went to church.  Sermons were about the Birth of Jesus.  How our sins are the crucifixion, but when we pray to God and ask for forgiveness, which He gives us, it is like a birth or the rising from the dead. Also, that we must teach our children the true word of the Lord.  That everyone has to have a rebirth.  Be born again.

We fast again on Christmas Day until dinner time.  Christmas Day is going to be at our house.  It looks like it will be my sister, her husband and children, my parents, Elmer's parents plus Elmer and I.  All our children are either going to in-laws or having it at their house.

When Elmer gets up, we pray.  Then he does chores, while I get the dinner going.  When he comes in, we will pray.  I am sure he will read about Jesus' Birth.  People will start arriving around 11:00 AM.  Most are bringing a dish to pass.  When everyone is here, Elmer will pray.  Read about Jesus' Birth.  We will pray.  About noon, we will have dinner.  After dinner, we will open presents.

In the afternoon, I will have pies, cake, candies, and alike out.  We will also have coffee, and tea.  Before the folks leave, we will again pray.  After they leave, Elmer will do chores and I will make dinner usually left overs from dinner.

Second Christmas is at Elmer's parents this year.  Elmer's Mother told us last year that the Lord willing she would hold Second Christmas this year and it would be her last time.  She had done it countless years and it was time that us children took over.  She would bring dishes to pass, help in anyway, but she is almost 80 and this is her last dinner hurrah.

For Christmas she is having Elmer's family, my family, John Sarah's family, and knowing her anyone who happens to stop by.  We are all bringing a dish to pass.  I am bringing the Southern Sweet Potato Recipe and a couple of pies.  I guess that's more than one dish, but I want to her help her out.  Also, Elmer and I will get there right after chores, so I can help her.

When everyone is there, I am sure Elmer's Father will read of Jesus' Birth from the Bible and we will have prayer.  Then we will open presents.  Dinner will be on the table at 12:00 noon.  Not 11:59 or 12:01.  At noon.  That is the way Elmer's Mother is.  We laugh at her, but that's the way she has always done.  Elmer's Father will say a prayer before dinner.  Dinner is turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, dressing, vegetables, salads, homemade bread, homemade jams and jellies and I don't know what else.  For desert there will be pies, cakes, and cookies.  After dinner Elmer's Father will give a blessing.

After the kitchen cleaning, the adults will have talking.  The children will be outside playing if the weather isn't bad.  If it is they will be playing probably upstairs.  After a while, we will have singing where all the of us including the children sing.  Then she will bring out the rest of the deserts, candies, etc.

Before everyone leaves, Elmer's Father will have a short prayer.  Then we will go home to do chores.  Elmer and John will probably stay to get the house back in some kind of order.  They will back the next day to make sure the furniture is where it should be, etc.  Hannah, Sarah and I will come to make sure the house is all cleaned up and taken care of.

I went on quite long.  I am sure I left some things out, but this is how we celebrate our Christmas.

Also, next week will be my last post for a while.  If anyone has any questions either Elmer or I will answer them or if something comes up, I will come on.  But, I feel that I have said all about herbs and medicine until spring comes.  So I am going to take a break.

Hope you have a Blessed and Merry Christmas,
Anna

If you have any sweet potatoes left over or you want to do something different with sweet potatoes, here is another southern recipe I got at Pinecraft.

SWEET POTATO PIE

2 8 inch pie crusts, unbaked
3 cups sweet potatoes, boiled, mashed and peeled (you can use mixer or food processor)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 to 4 teaspoons allspice

Preheat you oven to 325 degrees.  Mix all ingredients in mixer or food processor until smooth.  Pour into pie crusts.  Bake until crust is brown, about 45 minutes.  Cool and refrigerate.  Elmer likes it with whip cream on top.