The Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank-Dec. 07-10

The Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank-Dec. 07-10
Monday, December 07, 1942

In this diary entry, Anne writes about two festivals: Hanukkah and St. Nicholas Day.

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that continues for eight days. It is also called the festival of lights as the Hindus call Diwali. It is also called the Feast of Dedication or the Feast of Lights.

St. Nicholas Day is a festival for children and it is in many of the European countries. It is related to the legends of the Saint and his being reputed as a bringer of gifts. Anne writes that it is a coincidence that both of these festival fall on the same day this year.

She writes that they did not do much arrangement for Hanukkah. They just exchanged a few small gifts and lighted candles for only ten minutes as they have to be economical in their use due to less supply of them. They also sand some songs. Mr. van Daan made a wooden menorah (It is type of candlestick that holds seven to nine candles on it and it is used during the festival). They had also a lot of fun while celebrating St. Nicholas Day.

Their curiosity was aroused a lot during dinner time, when Bep and Miep were whispering to Anne’s father. They were expecting something …..At eight o’clock, they all moved downstairs. They switched on the lights in a room that had no windows. After some time, Anne’s father opened a big cupboard. They all cried in wonder as they saw a big basket full of gifts wrapped in colourful paper and a mask of Black Peter.ann got a Kewpie doll and her father received bookends (to keep the row of books supported). They had a good time while celebrating St, Nicholas Day for the first time.

Anne writes in her special comments added later on that they also had gifts for office-employee. Miep and Bep were grateful for arranging money.

Mr. van Daan’s ashtray and Mr. Dussel’s picture frame and Father’s bookends (these are used for keeping the lines of books supported) were all prepared by Mr. Voskuijl.

Thursday, Dec 10, 1942

From this diary entry, we come to know that Mr. van Daan “used to be in meat and sausage and spice business.”He  proved to be very helpful for the inmates of the Secret Annex.

A large amount of meat was ordered and they were planning to preserve it I case hard times come in future. Mr. van Daan prepared bratburst (a kind of small pork sausage), sausages and metwurst (It is a kind of German sausage prepared for raw minced pork.)

Sausage is small tube of skin filled with a mixture of meat, spice, etc.

Anne had full fun of watching the whole process of preparing all these things.

They ate the bratwurst with sauerkraut for lunch.

Sausages were going to be canned, so, they were hung over a couple pole suspended from the ceiling for dying up. It was a comical scene for them as it excited laughter for everyone who entered the room.

Then Anne describes that kitchen was in shambles (disorder). Mr. van Daan, with his red face and blood-smeared hands looks like a real butcher while working at the meat. His is clad in his wife’s apron. In the meantime, Mrs. Van Daan is trying to do many things at one time. She is learning  Dutch from a book and also doing several other activities like “stirring soup, watching the meat, sighing and moaning about her broken ribs.”

Dussel has been suffering from an eye-infection and presently sitting near the stove. He is dabbing (touching softly) his eyes with some liquid (chamomile tea made from the leaves and flowers of the plant chamomile). Pim (Anne’s father) is sitting in the sunray that is coming inside the room from the gap in the window. He seems to have been suffering from ‘rheumatism’ (it’s symptoms are pain or swelling in the joints). Peter was romping around (playing about making a noise) with the cat, Mouschi and Anne’s mother, sister and she are peeling (removing the out skin) of the boiled potatoes. At the same time, they were watching Mr. van Daan in the kitchen work with meat.

Next, Anne writes that her mother is ironing and Mrs. Van Daan has become the first patient of Mr. Dussel as he has opened his dental practice just for fun. He is looking in Mrs. Van Daan’s mouth and found two teeth infected. It makes Mrs. Van Daan wince with pain and utter incoherent (confused) cries every time he touches them. 

She flailed her arms and legs when Mr. Dussel started scraping out a cavity. But the probe got stuck in her tooth. She moved her arms and legs in all directions while Mr. Dussel was trying to remove it. All of them roared with laughter. Finally, Mrs. Van Daan managed to yank the thing out. Mr. Dussel went with his work peacefully. Then Anne and Mr. van Daan helped Dussel in controlling Mrs. Van Daan.