Merry Christmas

I hope you are enjoying a relaxing family day. You don't have to be a Christian to enjoy the holiday period. In fact, most Europeans are not but they all enjoy what is now clearly a family holiday. The origins of Christmas are in north Europe and they pre-date the creation of the religion which claimed it for itself. Santa, Rudolph and the gang existed before Christianity.

One of the high points of my Christmas Day is opening Christmas cards. This year I got 29 and I am sure a few more will arrive in a couple of days taking the total to over 30. Some of the cards had additional information about family or photographs. Great to read and store for reading again later.

I also use the opportunity to toast my family and friends at 12 noon = 13.00 CET. It links many people in different countries around the world and I like the idea that we are all sipping something nice at the same time! In the second photo you can see my glass with a small bottle of sekt.

I'm having a quiet day and in a few hours Jan and family will arrive. I'm looking forward to seeing Emma again and playing 'Opa John'. Enjoy the rest of the day and tomorrow which is part of the festive period.