Advent Calendar: December 8th

Photo taken by Joerg Schwerie

Day eight of the Christmas tree tour gives us an impressive shot. Taken by Joerg Schwerie, the photo shows a well-lit tree that appears to be caught between two different eras of building construction: the one on the left appears modern, the one on the right appears antique. They are separated by a paved alley. Yet when looking at it more closely, the tree serves as a guidance for those who are lost and looking for the way to the market square. There are many interpretations for this tree, which is located along the shopping mile in the town of Schleswig, located 35km south of Flensburg. Feel free to write in your interpretations of the tree’s setting in the comment section below.

And as for a surprise, another moment with St. Nick awaits you by clicking here.

Advent Calendar: December 7

Day seven in the series takes us to the City of Jena, located in eastern Thuringia. The city, with a population of 140,000, is the regional hub for science and technology as many companies and research institutions (partially supported by two universities. It also has one of the best Christmas markets in the region, where it is spread out into three parts- Marktplatz at the historic town hall, Eichplatz at JenTower and Johannestor right next to it. I did a detailed documentary on the market in 2008 as well as in 2014 as I spent most of my 20 years in the city. You can find the 2014 version here.

While the Christmas Market could not take place this year, the city has kept up its holiday cheer. Aside from the traditional brass music concerts every evening at 5pm, and Christmas decorations throughout the city center, the City of Jena did a great job of finding and decorating the Christmas tree, as seen in the picture by Hannes Wolf. And while there are no huts and mulled wine this year, the people in the picture are surely in a holiday mood, despite a pandemic that has turned our lives upside down.

And with this picture comes a little bit of humor, which you can find by clicking here! Enjoy! 😀

The Fourth Wiseman

A little bit of humor to start off the week. This comic came from the series The Far Side, produced by Gary Larson from 1980 until 1995. In this strip, it features the three Wisemen bringing myhrr, gold and frankincense, with the fourth one bringing fruitcake, only to be rejected. I wonder why that was the case? After all, fruitcake does have two different meanings…… 😉

Have a nice Monday everyone! ❤

Happy Holidays! 🕯️🕯️🎄🎄❄️🎁⛪☃️☕