Yesterday we all went off to the Christmas Eve service at our church. It was...interesting. The written program proclaimed it to be a German Christmas, and so it was. There were two strapping and cheerful gentlemen in lederhosen, who regaled us with polkas at odd moments, playing upon their accordion and tuba. I seriously wanted to go polka-ing up and down the aisle, but had no partner. My reticent British-ancestry husband was not willing. Too bad! There was a large clan who got up and sang Stille Nacht, and the evening's introduction was given in German. The really amazing thing is that I found myself understanding what she was saying, and I don't speak German. At least, I don't think I do. I could be wrong.
The highlight, however, came while the aforementioned large clan was singing "O Tannenbaum". They sang it in German first, then a verse in English, and then polished it off in German again. But whichever language you sing it in, every line begins with the word "O". Kevin sat beside me, and every time they sang the word "O", so did he. He doesn't know any of the other words though, so that's the ONLY word he sang. With every line, this happy bass voice beside me chimed in on the "O" and then hummed along until it came up again. It's a good thing that Emily and Yoko were sitting down, because they laughed so hard they would have fallen down otherwise. I had the "O" chorus on the right, and the helpless gigglers on the left. Surrounded by lunacy, that was me.
There is a Christmas song I've heard on the radio a few times about having a Christmas to remember, but I just roll my eyes at it. The ones I really remember are the ones that were really and truly horrible in some way. But thanks to the Germans, this year might be reversing the trend. My German Christmas Eve will be sticking with me for a while. May you and yours have a Christmas to remember also, and I mean that in a GOOD way!
Love, Spud.
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