24th December - Heiligeabend (Christmas)

Had a bit of a sleep in today, since it’s a bit of a big day

Went to the Church Service at about 4.20 - ready for the 5 O’Clock service - but we wanted good seats.  Mama’s children’s group did a lovely little play and apart from mostly not being able to sing when I was supposed to, it went smoothly.... no lightning bolts for the heathen interloper.

After Church we had our main meal, which was Duck with Klöße (dumpling type things, made with cooked potato and flour and other good things - rolled into a ball). Sadly not one of my favourites, but I liked these a lot better than any others I’d tried (the others were shop bought, so that could explain a lot).

After dinner, we all (Mama, Papa, Bernd, Svenje, Martje, Maike and I) went into the living room, we each had a Christmas plate of sweets and a orange that Papa and I had put together earlier.  We sang a few christmas songs and Martje read us the story of birth of Jesus and then it was time for the presents.

Earlier in the day I had realised that the books I had bought for Martje were way too advanced.  I think it was my misunderstanding of a small technicality in speaking German, that I thought she had already begun to have English in school, whereas she’s literally just had one lesson or so at this stage.  I couldn’t go out and get anything on the 24th, so I sacrificed my troll I had bought for myself in Norway.  A little sad about that - but she really loved it, so it was worth it and way better that she has something for now to enjoy and the books can come into play later.  Everyone else seemed to like their presents.

I was a little (read totally) spoilt.  I received a bag of popcorn with a certificate for the cinemas in Leer and a small pot of Fleischsalat (my all time favourite) and a copy of the film “
Welcome to the Hartmanns (which is really funny since that’s my German family’s name, from Maike, a large microfibre towel for travelling from Bernd and Svenja, a certificate for my choice of meal out, theatre etc from Mama, a delicate angel decoration, a box of Milka hearts and a box of Burberry perfume and deo spray from Mama and Papa, along with a couple of Bingo tickets for tomorrow’s games.

Then we went to the 10.30pm service where Mama was half of a duo that sang a few songs for the faithful.  I don’t know the other lady’s name but they harmonised really well together.