Day 3: The Hunters and More

Today was awesome. It was Morfar's birthday party. The festivities began when we went to the Forester's house, abt 200 meters from the main house. They played their musical instruments for us and sang traditional German songs. It was so cool. After that the guests starting arriving. There were 11 kids total to watch between Maiju and I. She is Natalie's sister's Au Pair from Finland. She didn't arrive until just before dinner though, so I was on my own for the majority of the day.
I met many people, but I think the coolest part of my day was when the hunters came. There were 7 older men standing in two rows, totally decked out it lederhosen and wool stockings. They also all wore the same dark green jacket. They played these huge buglehorns They use these horns at the end of their hunt to honor those that fell. I think it's so awesome how germans are still so traditional in their everyday lives.
Many people came and went through the evening. After the kids ate dinner, Morfar opened his presents. It is a Swedish tradition to give presents to your family before you receive your own on big birthdays. He turned 70 this year. Morfar's children, Franz Katerina and Natalie, all got beautiful silver platters with the date engraved on them. The grandchildren got silver shot glasses. The Germans start them young.
Because Mormor and Morfar both come from such old European families, they still use their family crests. Until now, Morfar's father and mother's crests were sho9wn throughout the house. Today, he got a dinner set with his and her crests engraved at the top. His crest is diagonal lines, like the K Swiss logo. Mormor's is a fiery heart. It represents Richard the Lionheart#s heart. Apparently when he died, his heart was supposed to be returned to Jerusalem. The man who was to return it, died on the journey, and with his dying breath he threw the heart in Jerusalem's direction.
After presents were opened, the kids recited a poem written about Morfar. It was so sweet. Then the parents went to dinner while Maiju and I bathed the kids and got them in bed. We tried to find something on the telly that was in english. She is Finnish and speaks less German than I do. We ended up watching Germany's Funniest Home Videos, which in my opinion is way funnier than America's. Maybe because I didn't understand the dubbed in dialogue.