Angelika Another newsletter already? Yes, my Christmas sermon is still missing, as Michael always says. And of course, it's part of Christmas that this special newsletter is written at the last minute, before we bring our tree in from the balcony and I decorate it.

In our family, we always decorated the tree on the morning of Christmas Eve, before going to the nativity play in the early afternoon. The older you get, the more you remember these moments with fond sentimentality, even if they might have annoyed you at times in the past. But it's also nice to maintain your family's Christmas traditions. Everyone has their own, from food to singing.

At our home, we always sang Christmas carols before the gift-giving, and I often accompanied them on the guitar. Everyone had their favorite song and could request what was sung. I always wanted to sing "Leise rieselt der Schnee" or "Süßer die Glocken nie klingen." My grandma loved "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht" and always missed the note on the line "schlaf in himmlischer Ruh," especially when she was already quite old. Unfortunately, Michael is not much of a singer, but since I now work at a German school, I still get my fill. We sing with the children throughout the Advent season, and on the last school day before the Christmas holidays, there is Advent singing with the parents. And what was the first song we sang together this year? Of course, "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht," my grandma's favorite song, and my eyes immediately became teary.

My mother also used to hang the Christmas cards on a ribbon in the hallway like a garland, and I would count the cards and see who had written them. I'm still counting ours today, and the cards are also nicely displayed. Writing Christmas cards is somewhat of a dying art, although we still receive quite a few because I also send out many handwritten cards with my collage. Of course, we also appreciate all the electronic messages, but a handwritten card is truly something special. Michael writes so little by hand these days that his handwriting has become almost illegible (Fake News, the editor).

How do people in the USA handle card writing nowadays? Traditionally, the so-called "Holiday Cards" are sent out at the beginning of December, although many arrive later. Here, people also start putting up the Christmas tree shortly after Thanksgiving, which is always at the end of November. Many now send a photo card with good wishes, which they create on platforms like Shutterfly or Mint. These cards usually have a short text printed on them and photos of the family, including pets. Sometimes there are just photos with a simple "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas." Unfortunately, only a few people still take the time to write a detailed year-in-review, which used to be common here. However, I always find them very nice, especially from people we don't often talk to or see. It helps us stay updated. I have a friend who writes her year-in-review so humorously that I always have to laugh out loud.

The history of the Christmas card is, by the way, very interesting. The first commercial Christmas card is said to have been created by John Callcott Horsley, who designed it in England in 1843. The idea then spread to the USA, where printed Christmas cards became increasingly popular in the mid-19th century. Louis Prang, a German immigrant and printer in Boston, is often referred to as the "father of the American Christmas card." Around 1875, he began mass-producing high-quality Christmas cards. Prang's cards featured nature scenes, flowers, and non-religious motifs that appealed to a broad audience. Companies like Hallmark, founded in 1910 in Kansas City, Missouri, later offered a wide range of card designs and themes. Incidentally, Hallmark is still active in the card business today and produces cards for all sorts of occasions.

We hope that you have received at least one greeting that has made you happy, touched you, or made you laugh.

In this spirit, "Merry Christmas" and a good year 2025. Whatever comes our way.

Angelika und Michael