Cley Advent Windows 2021

by

These are some of the Advent windows in our village. A total of 45 windows are decorated to make our village look like an oversized Advent calendar. This ‘new tradition’ comes from last year. It was so popular that we had to repeat this crafting and decorating of the windows.

Dies sind einige der Adventsfenster in unserem Dorf. Insgesamt werden 45 Fenster so dekoriert, dass unser Dorf wie ein übergroßer Adventskalender aussieht. Diese ‘neue Tradition’ stammt vom letzten Jahr. Sie war so beliebt, dass wir dieses Basteln und Dekorieren der Fenster wiederholen mussten.

Crabpot Books

As with every Advent calendar, the display of decorated windows begins on the first of December and a few new ones are added every day until Christmas Eve. They are lit from 16h to 20h. We are always very excited about what new things we get to see every evening.

Wie bei jedem Adventskalender beginnt das Zeigen der dekorierten Fenster am ersten Dezember und jeden Tag bis zum Heiligen Abend kommen einige neue hinzu. Sie werden von 16h bis 20h beleuchtet. Wir sind immer ganz aufgeregt, was wir jeden Abend Neues zu sehen bekommen.

These are windows of the few shops in the village, but most of the windows belong to private houses on the coast road. Every time new windows are added, we are amazed at the handicraft and creative talents that live in our village.

Es handelt sich um einige Schaufenster der wenigen Geschäfte im Ort, aber die meisten Fenster gehören zu Privathäusern an der Küstenstraße. Wir wundern uns jedes Mal wenn neue Fenster dazu kommen, welche Bastel- und kreative Talente in unserem Ort wohnen.

These are the two porches of St Margaret’s Church.

Dies sind die beiden Eingangshallen der Kirche zu Cley.

This is a selection (above and below) of windows of private houses. In some cases, such as the first window below, the figures are movable.

Dies ist eine Auswahl (hierüber und hierunter) von Fenstern von Privathäusern. Teilweise wie z.B. beim ersten Fenster unten sind die Figuren beweglich.

We wish you all a wonderful Christmas, keep well and happy and enjoy food, drink and gifts

Wir wünschen allen uns Besuchern ein wunderbares Fest, bleibt gesund und munter und erfreut euch am Essen und Trinken und den Geschenken

The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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© Text and illustrations, Hanne Siebers and Klausbernd Vollmar, Cley next the Sea, 2021

208 thoughts

  3. Oh, how Lovely. It must be quite amazing walking around your small village and seeing all these creations. Thank you for showing that to us. I hope you have a very happy Christmas with family and friends.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    • Dear Judith
      thank you very much for commenting.
      We love it to stroll along the Coast Road at night where most of these windows are. And we are always VERY curious to see the new windows. As we know the people we expect a certain design but quite often we are astonished.
      Have a happy holiday season and all the best for the new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  4. Those windows are delightful. What a nice tradition to start. It hopefully is kept up every year. I can imagine on the daily walk to explore every new window every day. Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a happy and healthy new year! ♥

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    • Good evening, dear Ute,
      thanks a lot.
      We are pretty sure that this new tradition will become a proper tradition. Indeed, we love to stroll every night the Coast Road up and down exploring the windows.
      Wishing you a relaxed holiday season and a happy and healthy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  6. Fab Four of Cley,
    How wonderful to see a community come together in a beautiful way! Another holiday tradition is always welcome.
    I hope this year’s celebration is one of joy for you all and may you stay healthy.
    If you happen to go to any Christmas parties – don’t forget to bring along my tipsy reindeer!!
    Enjoy!
    GP 🎄🎋

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, dear Cathy 🙏 🙏
      Every evening it’s exciting how the new windows will look like.
      Merry holiday season and a healthy and happy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

    • Dear Ashley,
      some of the displays are very sophisticated. People invested quite some work to present their window.
      Relaxed Christman and healthy and happy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

    • Das machen wir auch, liebe Sabine, und sind stets ganz aufgeregt, wie wohl die neuen Fenster aussehen werden.
      Hab herzlichen Dank.
      Wir wünschen tolle Feiertage und eine wunderbares neues Jahr
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

    • Herzlichen Dank, liebe Xeniana.
      Wir bewundern deinen Gravatar – auch wunderschön!
      Frohe Feiertage und ein höchst angenehmes neues Jahr
      wünschen
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Jacqui,
      the one with the trees and the fox is done by children we suppose. We love its simplicity.
      Every window is telling a story and if you would combine this story with the history of the house you could make easily a book from it. Cley has been an important harbour during the middle ages. There was piracy and smuggling and there is still a lot of yarn around. It would be ideal for you.
      Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

    • Dear Jacqui,
      it’s great to have children around. That’s a big disadvantage in our village that we hardly have any children. If it goes on like this we’ll die out – but we’ll die out in style 😉
      Have a happy Christmas and a healthy and peaceful new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
      P.S.
      Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma as Bookfayries don’t count as children

      Liked by 1 person

  18. What a delightful post and engaging photos! Your village is a charming place, indeed. I remember the town’s response to the book fair from last fall and so am not surprised to see your community similarly engaged for the holidays, too. With warm regards to all the Fab Four of Cley!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Babsje,
      the advantage is that hardly anybody has to work here, we are nearly all pensioners having enough time to do something like this. And funnily the newcomers keep the community spirit very much up. They are engaged. Well, we live in a chocolate box village at the sea which attracts a certain kind of people.
      Thank you very much for your comment.
      Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  19. My dear friends, what a delightful new tradition and wonderful insights into the cosy homes in your little village. So much creativity and dedicated love and effort, I’m impressed!
    How are you getting on with your decorations? Is your Christmas tree up and sparkling?
    Kram
    Annalena x

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dearest Annalena,
      YES, our Christmas tree is decorated with red glass balls and lights and a few golden stars ⭐️ we have a wreath on two of our outside doors and some bits and pieces but not too much. Siri 🙂 and KB watch that our decorations stay tasty. But we don’t have an Advent Window decorated as we are off the Coast Road.
      We were impressed by how creative our neighbours are.
      Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy new year
      KRAM
      xxx
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  23. Pingback: Cley Advent Windows 2021 | Katherine Wikoff

    • Often more than one new window opens each evening until the 24th, all in all 45.
      Thanks for commenting.
      Merry Christmas and a happy new year wishing you
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  28. What a brilliant idea and so very creative are the windows themselves. Hope the Fab Four have a great Christmas with a Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year to follow. Vicki xx
    PS I enjoy your posts so much they are the first emails I open when I see the notification in the morning. Keep up the inspiring and enjoyable articles and photography.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Vicki,
      thank you sooooooo much 🙏 🙏 for your kind word. We very much appreciate them!
      We are surrounded by creative neighbours, indeed.
      Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year. We promise to give our best to produce enjoyable articles in the next year as well. Your praise motivates us a lot.
      Thanks again
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  31. How delightful! I love the one with the tree and the birds! We are not ones for decorating our home (except for some dancing lights woven around out banister) but I do appreciate the effort some people go to to brighten these dreary days and long nights. I wish you all a lovely Christmas – a time for the girls to twinkle in their sparkly dresses and enjoy flying around scattering fairy dust throughout the village. Eat, drink and be merry! 🎄🎁🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Jude,
      you got it exactly: Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma love flying around in their sparkling dresses – actually looking like little Christmas trees 🎄🎄 😉 – and scattering fairy dust all around. They drag us out every evening to have a look at the new windows.
      We have a small Christmas tree with red glass balls, a few golden stars ⭐️ and lights and some other bits and pieces but not too much. In our windows, we have these wooden pyramids with lights following the Scandinavian tradition. We actually follow mostly the Scandinavian tradition with lots of candles.
      We wish you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
      Maybe we’ll see each other again when travelling is okay.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Susie,
      that’s only a very small selection and in the next 6 days, new ones will appear.
      Thanks for commenting.
      Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  36. Was für eine zauberhafte Atmosphäre! Man kann sich kaum satt sehen. Alles sit so liebevoll gestaltet und drappiert.
    Auch ich wünsche euch beglückende Weihnachtstage und einen hoffnungsfrohen Jahresbeginn 2022.
    Mit liebem Dank und herzlichen Grüssen aus dem Schweizer Mittelland, wo in vielen Dörfern auch Adventsfenster gestaltet werden. (So schön wie bei euch sind sie allerdings selten.)
    Brigitte

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Liebe Brigitte,
      ja, wir sahen die Schweizer Adventsfenster als wir in St Gallen lebten und viel über Land fuhren. Wir fanden die Schweizer Art Weihnachten zu begehen sehr gemütlich. Besonders liebten wir stets den Weihnachtsmarkt in der Züricher Altstadt. Wir vier hier begehen unsere Weihnachten weitgehend mit Scandinavischer Gemütlichkeit.
      Wir wünschen dir ein wunderschönes Weihnachtsfest voller Frohsinn und Harmonie und ein gesundes neues Jahr
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  39. Was für ein gelungener fotografischer Adventsrundgang, danke! Es ist schön so etwas zu sehen und zu spüren, dass da eine dörfliche Gemeinschaft über solch ein Projekt zusammenwächst. Auch Euch wünsche ich ein besinnliches Fest und frohe Weihnachtstage, Liebe Grüße
    Jürgen

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dankeschön, lieber Jürgen 🙏 🙏
      Wir lieben es, jeden Abend zu gucken, wie die neu dazugekommenen Fenster aussehen. Das ist richtig spannend, wir lieben es.
      Bei us finden ja ständig solche Projekte statt. Wir berichteten ja letztlich über unsere Book Fair. Man hat hier Zeit und zum Glück auch Geschmack und die Mittel, viele solcher Sachen zu organisieren. Wir sind zu einem sogenanntes Chocolate Box Village in den letzten zehn Jahren geworden.
      Wir wünschen dir und deinen Lieben wunderbare Festtage und ein gesundes und fröhliches neues Jahr
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  40. Grandios. Da muss sich einfach Weihnachtsstimmung im Ort ausbreiten. Wirklich toll.
    Auch Euch gemeinsam eine schöne Zeit über die Feiertage, viel Freude, Genuss und Gemütlichkeit und dann einen guten Start ins Neue Jahr – auf dass es hier weiterhin interessante und spannende Dinge zu lesen gibt 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Liebe Hermine,
      herzlichen Dank für deine lieben Worte.
      Wir wünschen dir und deinen Lieben ein wunderbares Fest, Essen und Trinken vom Leckersten und Geschenke vom Feinsten, viel Freude, Spaß und Gemütlichkeit. Alles Gute zum neuen Jahr, möge es ein gesundes und fröhliches werden und klar doch, wir werden weiterhin auf unsere Art bloggen, versprochen, großes Feen-Ehrenwort.
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  43. Bei diesen so wunderschön weihnachtlich leuchtenden Bildern kann trotz allem einfach nur wundervolle weihnachtliche Stimmung in mir aufkommen, liebe Diana und tut richtig gut zu sehen!
    Liebe Grüße, herzlichen Dank fürs teilen und hab noch eine schöne Adventszeit, leuchtendes Weihnachtsfest sowie einen guten, vor allem gesunden Wechsel ins neue Jahr auf eurer kleinen liebevollen Insel! 🍀🍀🍀🌟

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Guten Morgen, liebe Hanne,
      habe herzlichen ❤ Dank für deinen lieben Kommentar 🙏 🙏
      Wir senden gaaaanz viele liebe Grüße, frohes Feiern voll Glück und Freude und ein gesundes und fröhliches neues Jahr
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Good morning, dear Pete,
      some people worked for weeks to produce their windows. They are all special. We know this tradition of Advents Windows from Switzerland but there are the windows much more alike, they just put decorations in you can buy. Ours are very charming because they are individual, aren’t they?
      Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas and a healthy and happy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  46. Beautiful advent calendar displays for the season. So lovely of both shops and private houses participating, and lovely to hear some of them are movable. Sounds like your town has a great community and creative spirit. Wishing you well for the holiday season ahead 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Hi, dear Mabel,
      we have a lot of creative talents in our village.
      Thanks for your comment.
      Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  48. We need this special time of year to dissolve away the mediocracy of daily life. And well represented here are very special
    displays of the season that contribute perfectly to a happy and healthy outlook on life. What very beautiful Windows!
    Thank you dear friends, Happy Holidays!! Eddie

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thank you so much, dear Eddie 🙏 🙏
      Our village looks great with all these decorated windows. People come from quite far to have a look.
      Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and all the best for the new year.
      With love from the little village next to the big sea
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Ja, wir wundern uns auch, wie viele Talente es hier gibt und wie liebevoll sie ihre Fähigkeiten im Dorf einsetzen.
      Wir wünschen dir wundervolle Weihnachten, eine gemütliche und entspannte Zeit, und ein gesundes und angenehmes neues Jahr.
      Wir senden viel Freude nach Schweden
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  52. When I was a child, ‘going uptown to see the store windows’ was a tradition, but none of those windows — lovely as they were — matched these for creativity. I’ve never come across Advent windows, either, and that certainly appeals to me. I love Advent, and keep it it my own quiet way while the rest of the world is out shopping.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thanks, dear Linda 🙏 🙏
      We walk around in our village nearly every night to have a look at the windows. We love it, it became a kind of advent celebration for us. Afterwards, we have mulled wine and sweeties.
      Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Thank you VERY much!
      It’s great to have the windows of our main street, the Coast Road, decorated. When we saw the bookshop window we had to laugh. It was among the first windows that were to be seen. We suppose the foxes in the snow were done by children and the birds in the winter tree are typically Cley, our village, as it is a big bird sanctuary.
      Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  54. You’re welcome. I like how you describe that you “live in a chocolate box village at the sea…” That environment seems to suit you and Dina and Siri and Selma perfectly. You have access there to your beloved sea and wildlife and charming village features. Those are valuable gifts. Wishing all the Fab Four of Cley 😊 😊 😊 😊 happy holidays and solstice and a healthy and serene 2022.  All my best, Babsje

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Dear Babsje,
      you are right, our village perfectly suits us. It couldn’t be better. We are very happy living in this community and these surroundings. We travelled around the world and found this here by accident. We came at the right time. Nowadays we couldn’t afford to buy a house here.
      Thanks for your kind words 🙏 🙏
      We wish you a wonderful and relaxed holiday season and a healthy and happy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
      By the way, we just bought two canoes yesterday. We are looking forward to following your example.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Two canoes! What a perfect gift for yourselves that opens new doors for exploring your world. I’m thrilled for the Fab Four of Cley for your good fortune and look forward to your writings and Dina’s photographs in the months to come. Thank you for the holiday sentiments. Wishing all the Fab Four a splendid holiday and lovely adventures in the New Year. All my best, Babsje

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Babsje,
      we had a dinghy before with a noisy outboard engine. Now with the canoes, we’ll go silently out to the sea and inside the channels without frightening the wildlife away. We are very much looking forward to using them 🙂 🙂
      We’ll have a lazy Christmas. Cooking fine food together, enjoying special drinks and sitting in front of the open fire reading and talking. We will not touch our computers – at least this is what we have planned.
      Sending you lots of love ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ and fairy dust 💫✨🌟⭐️🌟✨💫
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Your Christmas day plan feels so warm and joy filled, joyfull as in full of joy. Leaving computers untouched is icing on the cake. And you’re right that your new canoes will open up worlds of wilderness stillness and silence unlike your dinghy. My special thank you for your warm greeting and the fairy dust sparkles. With much love from me to all the Fab Four of Cley 😊 😊 😊😊 ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ Babsje

      Liked by 2 people

  56. My dear friends, the Fab Four of Cley – what I enjoy most about your posts is that you stir my curiosity. I love Christmas windows and remember creating Christmas windows as a child on our school windows as an art project. Standing outside in the cold, looking into the widows with the light behind gives a festive cheer that warms us even in the most frigid of weather. I did some research on the origin of Christmas windows. What I did not know, but should have known, was that we have the Industrial Revolution to thank for the Christmas Window. Can you imagine walking streets, lit by gas’s lighting and seeing the illuminated windows. Your photos are a reminder of the many Christmas windows that have come down through the decades. It was an absolute joy to walk with your through your magical village. All the very very best to my dear friends, The Fab Four of Cley, during this festive season. Sending love and many hugs!

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, dearest Rebecca 🙏 🙏
      In German, we have Christmas poems and novels in which these Christmas or Advent Windows are mentioned. Famous is from Josef von Eichendorff

      Markt und Straßen stehn verlassen,
      still erleuchtet jedes Haus,
      Sinnend’ geh ich durch die Gassen,
      alles sieht so festlich aus.
      An den Fenstern haben Frauen
      buntes Spielzeug fromm geschmückt,
      Tausend Kindlein stehn und schauen,
      sind so wunderstill beglückt.

      (our translation)
      Market and streets stand deserted,
      Every house is lit in silence,
      I walk through the streets, wondering,
      Everything looks so festive
      At the windows women have
      piously decorated colourful toys,
      A thousand little children stand and look,
      So wondrously happy.

      Eichendorff as a romantic poet, living at the beginning of the industrial revolution in Germany, was especially fascinated by these Christmas Windows.
      Thank you so much for mentioning this tradition of Christmas or Advent Windows.
      We wish you and everybody of the Budd-Clan a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy new year.
      It’s great to have you as our Canadian dear friends
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 5 people

    • My deepest gratitude goes out to you Klausbernd, for introducing me to Josef von Eichendorff. I have never heard of him before and am now on a research journey into his writing/poetry/life. I recognize that much will be in German, but I’m certain that there may be translations available. He offers a marvelous feeling of belonging: “A thousand little children stand and look, So wondrously happy.”

      The Budd-Clan is looking forward to entering 2022 together. Oh, the adventures that await us. Hugs and love to The Fab Four of Cley.

      Liked by 3 people

    • Good morning, dear Rebecca,
      a couple years ago we blogged about another of Eichendorff’s poems

      The Magic Tone


      Eichendorff is a poet of the German high Romanticism. We admire his use of the language, he has a fine feeling for the rhythm and the flow of the German language. At my grammar school, we had to learn several of his poems by heart. When you recite them they unfold their full beauty. We read his novel “Memoirs of a Good-for-Nothing” as well at school. You couldn’t escape Eichendorff as a German student. Like all the romantic authors he was interested in the language, I would call him an early linguist. This deeper knowledge of the German language enabled him to use the language elegantly.
      Wishing you a lot of inspiration studying Eichendorff’s work and life
      lots of love and hugs
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Many thanks Klausbernd. What I most enjoy about research is where it leads. The pathways are never straight but circuitous. For example, to know Josef Eichendorff, I must also study those who influenced him – Romantic writers such as A. von Arnim, C. Brentano, and the brothers Friedrich and August Schlegel. I especially appreciated your words: “this deeper knowledge of the German language enabled him to use the language elegantly.” Language nuances the messages and words. Translations are wonderful, but they do not fully convey essence. I also found out that Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Robert Schumann , and Hugo Wolf put music to most of his lyrical compositions. This is exciting!

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Rebecca,
      these are all the athors whose poems we had to learn by heart and then recite at our school. We had to learn a lot by heart and to recite what’s now out of fashion in German schools. By the way our dear Master still knows the first verse of a lot of these poems.
      Now we close our computer giving it a Christmas holiday.
      Lots of love
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  57. Eine sehr schoene”neue Tradition”, Ihr Lieben: danke fuer’s Zeigen.
    Auch Euch ein froh-besinnliches Weihnachtsfest und alles Gute, vor Allem gute Gesundheit, im kommenden Jahr,
    Eure Mary & Pit

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Lieber Pit, liebe Mary,
      auch euch ein gemütliches und höchst angenehmes Weihnachtsfest und ein kerngesundes neues Jahr voller froher Erlebnisse.
      Ich denke mir, wir werden hier diese Tradition der Weihnachtsfenster fortführen.
      Wir wünschen euch alles Gute und Liebe
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  58. Such wonderful creativity in these Advent windows and they sparkle with imagination and fun! I would be a very regular customer at the bookshop, their window is so tantalising! Pure magic in Cley for your all this month and wished I lived closer to visit and see for myself. A local village did something very similar for a few years and it proved highly popular – by the end several windows were unveiled each evening! Wishing you all a very special Christmas filled with light, love and laughter! xx

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Annika,
      this Bookshop, it’s called Crabpot Bookshop, is a well-stocked antiquarian bookshop. A big temptation for us. We even have another antiquarian bookseller in our village. He doesn’t have a shop but runs book fairs. Of course, we are customers at both especially buying rare copies of books about the Arctic, one of our main fields of collecting.
      We think we will keep up this tradition with Advent windows. We have a lot of neighbours who have the time, the experience and the means to organise and keep up different communal activities like the Advent windows and the Cley Book Fair. We also have every Thursday afternoon classic life music in our church and we, the Fab Four, have a corner of pre-loved books there as well.
      We wish you and your family a relaxing, cosy, and wonderful holiday season and a healthy and happy new year full of love and laughter
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  59. Dear friends in Cley,
    of all the Christmas trends I have seen seen this year, advent windows are possibly the most heart-warming.
    It’s far more than just decorating your house, it’s a community spirit and doing something good (maybe an initiative or charity is asking for donations?) Well done to all contributors for sharing their lights of joy and love with us all.
    A very Merry Christmas to the Fab Four! 🎅🏻🎄🤶🏻
    Klem
    Per Magnus

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Our dear friend Per Magnus living north of father Christmas,
      thank you very much for liking our Advent Windows. Like always in England, an initiative is asking for money. Actually, we don’t like it that for everything people do they beg for money. But anyway that’s British. The money goes to Cley Old Harbour – well, ‘harbour’ is a little bit exaggerated, there is a jetty next to the mill and a muddy slipway.
      We wish you and your son a wonderful Christmas and a healthy and happy new year.
      With hugs 🤗 🤗 xxx
      KLEM
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  60. Beautiful! It is so nice to see individual creativity from different families to come together in the spirit of community to make such a joyful event.
    Love all of them and I’m sure the ones we cannot see are beautiful and surprising as well! My wife had no doubt: the bear in the bed was his choice 🙂 perhaps she sees me as the bear !!!
    Wish you all a Happy Christmas full of Joy and Peace and a New Year with much Health and good emotions.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Robert,
      thank you very much for your kind words.
      We love reading in the bed as well 😉 especially our dear Dina does it with a cup of coffee in the morning.
      We wish you a wonderful Christmas and a healthy and peaceful new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  61. What a delightful collection. And you are right, your village is filled with wonderful creativity! I particularly loved the Crabpot Bookshop! Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and peaceful new year to you and all of yours! Mary

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Mary,
      Great that you like our Advent Windows. People come from quite far to see them. We walk every evening through our village to enjoy these windows.
      Thanks for commenting.
      Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a healthy and happy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  64. Das absolut schönste an diesen ganz speziellen Weihnachtsfenstern, Klausbernd, finde ich die Kreation derselben zusammen mit anderen Familienangehörigen, Freunden oder Bekannten! Dass ihr VIER in Cley diese auf einem abendlichen Spaziergang geniessen könnt, freut mich besonders und ich wünsche euch noch weiterhin einige genussvolle Abende voller Überraschungen und danke ganz herzlich, dass ihr diese mit uns geteilt habt!:) Frohe Festtage wünscht Martina

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    Reply

    • Thanks a lot.
      in Germany and Switzerland, we are used to producing something like these Advents Windows. It’s usually done by the whole family.
      Wishing you a fine holiday season and a healthy new year
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  71. So many creative and beautiful windows! Thank you for sending them – brightening my grey day! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and I wish us all a Better New Year than 2021. We had some beautiful snow for Christmas, but it is all gone and the rain is pouring. I am grateful for what we had though – not often a white Christmas here in the south of Sweden. Are Siri and Selma pleased with their holidays? So for the rest of the year – I wish you good health, many happy moments and good books!

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    Reply

    • Dear Ann-Christine,
      we are a little bit jealous. Having a white Christmas – how beautiful is that!
      These Christmas windows can be seen until January 6th. We are happy to live in quite a creative village. There is always some arty going on. Fortunately, the people share our taste, you don’t see here something that is kitschy.
      Siri 🙂 and 🙂 Selma love their holidays, going with Dina out to the Blakeney Point watching and photographing the seals, trying out their new fairy bikes, baking bread with their dear Master and cooking with Dina and Klausbernd. They are sending you their finest fairy dust ✨💫🌟⭐️🌟💫✨
      We all are wishing you a healthy New Year full of happy moments and lots of inspiration and fun
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
      The wish for good books is GREAT!

      Liked by 1 person

  72. Ach, wie schön! Wie liebevoll und einfallsreich dekoriert!
    Wir wollen heute so allmählich beginnen, unseren Weihnachtsbaum und die schöne, romantische Weihnachtsdeko wieder abzubauen und sorgfältig in den diversen Kartons zu verstauen.
    Liebe Grüße aus dem Bergischen Land…..von Rosie

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    Reply

  73. Moin Klausbernd.
    Auch wenn die Adventszeit längst vorbei ist, finde ich die Idee – und die Bilder – super. Besonders das erste Bild, Crabpot Books, hat es mir angetan. Vergleichbares kenne ich hier bei uns nicht. Eher vielleicht aus dem kleinen Dolomiten-Dorf, wo wir früher, als die Kinder noch klein waren und meine Gelenke das Skifahren zugelassen haben, ab dem 1. Weihnachtstag die Zeit über Silvester verbracht haben. Aber das ist zwei, drei Dezennien her. Ja, damals war Weihnachten noch irgendwie Weihnachten, mit mehr Schnee und weniger Kommerz. Jedenfalls in meiner Erinnerung. Und heute? Vor einigen Tagen schickte die Tochter meiner Freundin ein aktuelles Bild aus einem Kaufhaus in ihrer Stadt, NRW, wo bereits Ostersachen feilgeboten wurden. Täusche ich mich, oder war das “früher” auch so? Ich meine nicht.
    Ach ja, ich glaube, euch geht es recht gut in dem kleinen Dorf in Norfolk am Meer.
    Viele Grüße vom “anderen” Meer 😉
    wo wahrscheinlich viel mehr alles dem Tourismus untergeordnet wird als bei euch. Denke ich jetzt mal so.
    Und “da zu wohnen, wo andere Urlaub machen”, kann zwar schön sein, ist aber nicht immer ein Segen.
    Aber Hauptsache wir bleiben munter …, in dem Sinne, bis demnächst!

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    • Moin Sven,
      Masterchen romantisiert das frühere Weihnachten auch. Damals lebte er in einem schwedischen Dorf, wo mit skandinavischer Gemütlichkeit Weihnachten gefeiert wurde. Es wurde grundsätzlich weniger gekauft und Vieles selbst gemacht.
      Wir haben in unserem Ort das Glück, dass nur sehr wenige von den Touristen leben, deswegen wird hier wenig für den Tourismus getan. Oder sagen wir ‘mal so, wir haben eine andere Art von Touristen wie z.B. der Manager von Facebook für Europa, der bei uns im Dorf und im Silikon Valley wohnt und Leute aus der Medienbranche wie einen Nachbarn, der in unserem Sträßchen und in Montreal wohnt (witziger Weise unweit der Straße, wo wir in Montreal 6 Jahre lang wohnten). Diese Leute sind erpicht darauf, sich ins Dorfleben zu integrieren und viele unserer Aktivitäten zu unterstützen und die ‘normalen’ Touristen fern zu halten. So ist es äußerst angenehm hier zu leben. Wir sind voll zufrieden 🙂
      Die andere Seite ist jedoch, dass unser Ort zunehmend exklusiver wird und von älteren Leuten bewohnt wird. D.h. wir haben fast keine Kinder in Cley next the Sea, was wir schade finden. Dafür ist alles tipptopp und geschmackvoll, ganz anders als zu der Zeit, als wir hier herkamen. Es ist angenehm und sicher, hier zu wohnen. Die Leute sind nett, die Natur ist großartig und man kann so leben, wie man will. Es gibt eine funktionierende Dorfgemeinschaft und zwar durch die Zugezogenen. Einheimische gibt es kaum noch, Masterchen wird als Einheimischer gezählt, da er einer ist, der am längsten hier wohnt.
      Das war so ein kleiner Kommentar zu unserem Dorf. Es ist anders als deutsche Dörfer an Nord- und Ostsee, zumindest die wir kennen. In ein deutsches Dorf hätten wir nicht hineingepasst.
      Mit lieben Grüßen vom heute sonnigen Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Moin Klausbernd.
      Danke für deine Eindrücke aus deinem kleinen Dorf Cley next the sea und was ich eben bei Wikipedia nachgelesen habe, klingt sehr interessant – z. B. das über eure Windmill, die demnach über viele Jahre im Besitz der Familie von James Blunt war.
      Ja, ich glaube, ich müsste lange suchen, um Vergleichbares an unserer Ostseeküste zu finden (an der Nordsee kenne ich mich nicht so gut aus), Ad hoc fällt mir nur Arnis an der Schlei (unweit von Kappeln) ein.
      Aber die begehrten Orte habe alle eins gemein: Wohnraum für jedermann ist heute kaum noch bezahlbar. In den letzten Jahren hat es eine “Flucht in das Betongold” gegeben, wie mein Schwiegersohn es ausdrückt. Alte idyllisch anmutende Häuschen weichen dem “Betonbrutalismus”, sprich, es wird in Ferienwohnungen investiert und solange die Touris kommen, gibt es eine gute Rendite. Nur hält die Infrastruktur nicht ganz Schritt und in den “grauen” Monaten siehst du sehr viele dunkle Fenster, als wenn ganze Straßenzüge ausgestorben sind. Business as usual 😉

      Liked by 2 people

    • Moin Sven,
      hier ist das ebenso, dass der Wohnraum ziemlich teuer ist, teurer als in London z.B. Allerdings im Ggs. zur deutschen Küste darf hier nichts Neues gebaut werden, auch dürfen keine Grundstücke zugebaut werden. Der Stil muss gewahrt bleiben.
      Es ist ein großer Vorteil, dass die Leute, die hier wohnen, so reich sind, dass sie nicht nach Rendite oder Amortisation schauen müssen. Genau das hält die Lebens- und optische Qualität unser Dorfes hoch.
      Wir machten einst vor vielen Jahren Urlaub auf Amrum, da hat es uns gefallen. Allerdings waren wir dort im Spätherbst als keine Touristen dort waren.
      Dann mach es mal gut, halte dich gesund.
      Bis dann
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

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