Hello my lovely booklovers,

how are you? Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, a blog hop by the lovely Diana over at Part Time Monster. Every weekend we get together for virtual coffees and a little casual chat. How has this past week been for you?

Happy Holidays my lovely readers!

If we were having coffee today, you would be warmly invited to celebrate Christmas with me and my family. Here in Germany, we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve.

If we were spending the day together today, we’d have to go to the shops early. I still have to pick up beef and turkey from the butcher for Christmas dinner tonight (don’t worry, it’s pre-ordered and we’d be in and out). We’d also pop in next door to get drinks for tonight.

All my presents are wrapped and ready, so we’d have a bit of time to kill until just before 4pm. I’d invite you to come to church with me for a family-friendly service in my local church, where the female pastor greets everyone with a hug at the door and the service consists mainly of the nativity play and a few Christmas carols. We’re not a religious family, Christmas is the only time we actually attend in a year, aside from weddings, funerals and christenings. But we’ve been going to this particular service since I was 12 and one of the kids in the nativity as preparation for my confirmation. I love that even though it’s the main protestant church in town, it still feels like a family affair, and the family service is always translated into German Sign Language by pastors from a different parish. Everybody gets a candle, and towards the end of the service, the children are invited to approach the altar and light their candles on the Peace Light, which has been lit with the Eternal Flame that has come straight from the Nativity Grotto in Bethlehem. That sea of candles is when Christmas starts for me. And not even the organist who is always waaayyyy too fast (and who happens to be my high school music teacher) can ruin it for me.

After church, which lasts 1 hour 15 mins maximum, I’d pick up my dad and we’d make our way to my gran’s for Christmas Dinner. It’s just dad, gran and me tonight, my mum is at her parents’ and my sister is with her partner and his family.

We’ll have meat fondue tonight, as it’s been our family tradition for as long as I can remember. So we’ll have beef and turkey bites to dip into the rechaud, and enough baguettes, herb butter, sauce hollandaise and red sauce (my dad’s concoction) to make dinner last hours. But before we sit down for dinner, we’ll exchange gifts – don’t worry, we never go overboard on presents.

What are your holiday traditions? What do you celebrate? I’d love to hear more. One of the reasons I wish happy holidays is because my friends are so diverse, they all celebrate different holy days. And even those who do not celebrate in December, are still likely to have winter holidays or time off for bank holidays and  New Year’s.   This week, I’ve been celebrating the winter solstice with a Pagan friend of mine, and loved it. It was a small outdoor gathering on a local hill with an amazing view. I for one am glad the days are starting to get longer again.

So I hope that you’ll join me for part of my Christmas celebration today, just as I will be happy to celebrate your holiday with you! You’re more than welcome here and there’ll be plenty of food.  Check ou the other Weekend Coffee Sharers as well, though, to spread the festive mood!

Same time, next week?

Happy Holidays, my lovelies, whatever you may celebrate this month!

xoxoxo