… 12 more sleep to go,
 12 more sleep ’til Santa,
 12 more sleep til the big fat fella
 comes down your chimney 
and brings you presents and drinks your beer,
 12 more sleep til Santa.

I’m a big fan of the Christmas time, especially the cheerfully and busy days before Christmas Eve. Creating Advents calendar, decorating the house, setting up the Christmas tree (glad I spend three years in the US so I can start end of November and enjoy the tree for a whole month instead of the usual 10 days in Switzerland), baking cookies, eating chocolate the whole day, sparkling kids eyes and listening to Christmas songs.

Unfortunately I can’t remember what my favorite Christmas song was when I lived in Switzerland, did I have one at all?. Everyone was always a bit annoyed when they started to play the songs at the shopping malls or on the radio beginning of December and “Last Christmas, Wham” or “All I want for Christmas, Mariah Carey” was frowned upon because they played them forwards and backwards until you couldn’t hear them anymore. But I remember the favorites of my girls “Zimetstärn han I gärn” or “Was isch das für es Liechtli”. And for sure the old traditional ones we sing together at Christmas Eve. Often their are quite simple songs but the sound if you sing them in a group together is heartwarming, especially for an emotional cry baby like me.

During our time in the US my most favorite Song was “Have a holly jolly Christmas”. It was for three years the last song at the annual school play and I was always crying my eyes out. This song reflects perfectly the way the American celebrate Christmas: joyful, cheerful, colorful. The traditions I took with me: decorate your Christmas tree with everything you like, hang up memories, handicrafts and other funny things. I love to examine our tree and loose myself strolling down memory lane. And the exchange of Christmas Cards, I’m still not as good as some of our American friends who send out a letter with the summary of their last year but I try at least to make a picture collage with some basic moments from our year.

Maybe it’s too early to choose my favorite UK Christmas song. My girls did it “X more sleeps to Santa”, played every morning 8:30 on the radio. What a disaster when the bus is early (thanks god that this doesn’t happen often). And it’s a quite English song, who else has a big fat fella coming down your chimney and drinking your beer? And my choice? I alternate between “Fairytale of New York, The Pogues”, at least the most played Christmas song in the UK or “Do they know it’s Christmas, Band Aid”? This one tugged my heartstrings when they sang it at the school’s Christmas celebration but I still struggle a bit with the line “there won’t be snow in Africa”, I know they mean it symbolic and there is a way larger problem behind but don’t we have the same problem? Will there be snow in Cambridge, Engelburg or Charlotte?

Let’s hope snow is fallin’ all around
Children playin’, having fun
It’s the season, Love and understanding
Merry Christmas everyone!!