With Christmas palm and banana puree

Created: 12/24/2021, 06:43 AM

In the midst of her Caribbean family: Frauke Pfaff (standing in the back), who comes from Weichs, has lived in the Dominican Republic for over 20 years.

She tells how Christmas is celebrated there - for example with a festively decorated palm tree (left).

© nef

Frauke Pfaff comes from Weichs, but has lived in the Dominican Republic for over 20 years.

There she celebrates Christmas at 30 degrees.

Weichs - Far from her original home in Weichs, Frauke Pfaff has been celebrating Christmas for many years: in the Dominican Republic.

Not because she is on vacation there: the 55-year-old has been at home there for over 20 years.

In September 1999 she moved to Santiago de los Caballeros for love. On New Year's Eve of the same year she married Pedro Benoit, a real Dominican. "In addition to my husband, the family includes two very nice step-sons, two daughters-in-law and five wonderful grandchildren - I am, so to speak, an adopted grandmother," says Frauke Pfaff. The family has lived in the capital, Santo Domingo, since 2008. Frauke Pfaff works for the German-Dominican Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and has been managing director for twelve years. Of course she speaks fluent Spanish for a long time. But she has not forgotten German and Bavarian either.

According to Weichs, it still has a special relationship.

Her parents Elfriede and Albert Pfaff live here and she visits at least once a year.

And then there are sister Daniela and nephew Dominik who live in Coburg.

Christmas is of course for her a feast for the family: “Most of the time the children come to us at home.” You have already spent Christmas Eve with friends, “here the houses are open to visitors, nobody is left alone”.

The weather at Christmas is Caribbean: "For us Dominicans pleasantly fresh with 17 to 20 degrees at night, pleasant 26 to 30 degrees during the day."

The plastic Christmas trees are typical for Frauke Pfaff in her new home, where she feels very comfortable. From October onwards, they will be decorated with brightly colored glittering lights on the outside of the houses in all conceivable colors. "So far I have successfully refused to set up something like this," says the former woman from the Vistula with a smile. "I stick to my natural palm and the wooden Christmas tree I made myself." As a lasting memory, she has wooden decorations from the Ore Mountains - her father comes from Chemnitz -, straw stars and a carved nativity scene with her. And every year she looks forward to the package from Mommy with the delicious homemade stollen and cookies.

She bakes quark stollen herself for family and friends. Homemade mulled wine is also popular. At the family gathering on Christmas Eve, there are mainly pork on the spit and grilled chicken, rice, plantain puree wrapped in banana leaf, a specialty, as well as potato salad - "mine, like my grandmother's is very popular" - and coleslaw. Here, turrones are served, a confectionery made from almonds, honey, sugar and egg white, "terribly sweet and hard," says Frauke Pfaff, as well as raisins and sugar-coated gum confectionery. “But I prefer stollen and cookies,” says the Weichserin. A typical Christmas drink is eggnog.

“When everyone is with us, I often cook something else, such as pork pork with fried potatoes and sauerkraut. Or I make chicken - if there is no goose - with red cabbage and dumplings. ”Of course,“ Silent Night ”can always be heard:“ Noche de paz, noche de amor ”. People don't go to church, it's not like many people in Germany. Frauke Pfaff already lacks a little silence and contemplation in her new home for Christmas, admits the former Weichserin. Somehow it's too loud and commercial for her.

She always fondly remembers her childhood: “Christmas was always something very special for me as a child.

On December 24th, the living room was always locked, all the shutters were down so that my sister and I couldn't see anything. ”She always hoped to see the Christ Child in person.

"If we could then go into the living room after the children's mass and dinner and then finally see the colorfully decorated tree, then that was something very special."

Today Frauke Pfaff sends a warm Christmas greeting in three “languages” to the Glonn valley in Weichs: Feliz Navidad, merry Christmas, a nice Christmas.

Heinz Nefzger