Silent night, holy night

For most people, the Christmas holidays are dedicated to family. Young and old come together, loud and quiet, those who have stayed in their hometown and those who have moved away. To put it in a nutshell: Christmas is a time when all sorts of different people come together. But that is exactly what makes this celebration so special.

We have put together a few suggestions to keep things festive and harmonious – aside from the well-balanced Christmas menu.

Even if the Christmas holidays can be rather stressful (think of the hosts), you should always stop and take the time to talk to each other. Especially if you don’t see each other regularly, you have a lot to talk about.

Of course, you can rethink traditions if they feel out of date – but tried-and-tested Christmas family traditions that everyone can agree on are fine to continue. Have a welcome glass of champagne on the terrace. Visiting the cemetery together. Watching an iconic Christmas film in the afternoon. By the way, it’s never too late to find enjoyable traditions!

In order to maintain a certain Christmas harmony, it is usually best to avoid delicate topics (particularly at a late hour), especially when you already know that different opinions might clash at the family table. Politics, religion or polarising views can be dealt with at another time. Not every conversation has to be in-depth – every now and then it’s nice to just talk about holiday plans, culinary delights or music.

When different generations and different lifestyles come together, it’s a great asset that you can also benefit from on Christmas Eve. So if you ever run out of topics to talk about, it’s not hard to bring entertaining topics to the table where each person can contribute. Here are some examples: What’s the best Christmas movie? What is the best Christmas dinner? What Christmas Eve anecdotes can you think of? What got better last year? What should happen next year? What are some ways to do good in the spirit of charity? All these questions have the potential to stimulate plenty of nice discussions.

Christmas is only once a year. Be happy to have each other – no matter how many people meet up. Be grateful for everything positive. Enjoy yourselves. And enjoy the good food! We wish you a merry Christmas.