I am scanning some of my parent's slides and came across this one from New Year's Eve, 1951. The cryptic caption written in German by my mother says, "Sylvester 1951 mit Dora and Ed Gardner" or Sylvester "with"....
In the photograph below, the couple on the left are the Gardners. The happy fellow on the right is my dad, Richard. There is no Sylvester in this picture. But the name rings a bell, or at least the echo of a bell rung once by my mother when I was little. And I had my bell rung more than once, if you know what I mean.
Those of you who are Catholic know where this is headed. So, bear with me. I am not, and neither were my parents. Also, keep in mind my mother was a so-called "war bride" from Munich, Germany. In 1951, she would have been in the U.S. only four years where Sylverster was a cat and her English was still growing.
Sylvester, or Silvester, refers to Pope Silvester I, who died Dec. 31, 335. It's his feast day. He is a saint and credited with the conversion of emperor Constantine.
The Germans, Austrians, and others celebrate it by making a lot of noise, drinking and eating fondue (cheese, meat, potatoes, and vegetables) while watching "Dinner for One," according to deautchland.de. And Midnight Mass.
But there's more. Before there were Popes and such, the Germanic people used this time to celebrate Rauhnächte (rough nights), a pagan or folk celebration where time stood still, ghosts were on the loose, and people found closure by returning borrowed items, letting go of grudges, paying off debts and looking forward to the new year. It's a celebration that seems to incorporate two worlds, two beliefs and two different states of mind.
So, there you have it, all in my mother's handwriting. It was just a note, but one that sparked a bit of time travel.
I wish you a happy new year.
And thanks, Mom. Ich wünsche einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr.
From left, Ed and Nora Gardner celebrate Sylvester (New Year’s Eve) with Richard Funk, my dad in 1951.