h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Mal,

yes, I am in Germany but have a sky view card

http://www.skytvcard.com/

great for BBC 1 to 4 plus lots of other stuff and all in English - my saviour. Alleviates my Heimweh ... even though I've been here about 15 years or so.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kqIJztCUz78&feature=related

Got everything ready for Christmas? Have a great Heilig Abend!

Ah, good plan, thanks I don't have a TV myself, but my (American) stepdad misses English programming, and we all prefer our TV undubbed

Almost done, yes, just a few more things left to bake - I'll get to do that while the others decorate the tree tomorrow, and we'll have to find some busywork for my grandmother to keep her out of our hair.

How do you celebrate? Mixed traditions?

Very much so ... a bit here and a bit there! We've had our (mine) English Christmas tree since the 1st Advent - my children and the neighbour's children help in the decorating - very brash, lots of tinsel and fairy lights. Tomorrow Christmas tree Nr. 2 for Christmas Eve celebrations! With real candles and apples, etc. more classy, than the tacky English one - but that's just us! The neighbours do look at us a bit funny, though (especially the postman).

We have decided to split the presents into two - one on Heiligabend and the rest on Christmas morning (under the English Christmas tree) - see how it goes.

I used to tell my children that it is a long way from Germany to England - that's why the children gets their presents the day after the German children! Still can't get this big stick (Rüte) Father Christmas, though!!

Do you also mix and match cultures?

That sounds like a fun way to do it! Who cares what the postman thinks.

And yes, we're also hopelessly mix and match Only one tree, though. Real candles last year, but not this year - we have two young kittens The tree goes up tomorrow. And on Boxing Day the entire family meets, that's always *interesting* - a few years ago, we had five of the six major world religions present, so it's not really a Christmas party anymore.

We don't mix as much as my grandfather, though. He wrote that this year, they're not exchanging gifts for Christmas. Instead, they bought a lot of toys and donated them to a Christmas toy drive organised by his synagogue! He writes holiday cards with "Oy Joy" in them.