Between the years

Well, that was IT ! The days of festivities are gone. Over here in Germany we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, the 24th in the evening. Then we have got a first and a second Christmas day. No shops open, thanks God and German legislation. Then on the 3rd day those people rush into town who had got money as present. And as if we expected the end of the world everybody hurries into town to get the cheapest of cheap offers. .... today, right away .....

Mothers clear the homes of the huge piles of wrapping paper, what a shame... (nice alternative see Bob Brady http://pureland.blogspot.com/ Dec. 25th on furoshiki) warm up the left overs from a couple of days of festival food and get to more or less normal routine again.

The tree is looked at in pity, ... will it make it until the 6th of January this year? And the nice bunch of flowers that looked so pretty over the last days are being taken a photo of before wandering up in the garden to be composted.

Well it was good having the family here. Exchange presents, talk, eat, drink, go for walks, keep up traditions. A period in the year with a totally different focus. Back to what is really important. Not just a telephone call, an email or sms but to listen and talk to beloved ones in reality, to share and to show how everybody matters.

This was what Christmas was about.