My English Christmas as a Child

Dezember 2021

I started to get ready for Christmas two weeks before. Mistletoes were already hanging over the door entrance. I used to go singing Christmas carols at people’s houses hoping to get money for presents. Most people gave you a small amount of money, sometimes you were chased by dogs. Christmas Eve is not the same as in Austria. I was sent to bed quite early but before I went, I always put a piece of cake and a glass of wine for Father Christmas. When I woke up the next morning, at the bottom of my bed was a large Christmas stocking filled with fruit and nuts. I came down the stairs and looked at the table – the cake was gone; the glass was empty. Father Christmas had been here!!! Then I saw that under the Christmas tree were lots of presents. After dinner (roast turkey with stuffing, Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes and vegetables, Christmas pudding with custard) we pulled Christmas crackers with funny hats, small toys and jokes inside.

Brian Jones

Brian lebt jetzt in Österreich. Als Kind besuchte er jeden Sonntag den Gottesdienst in einer anglikanischen Kirche, weil er den Gesang liebte. Er ist mittlerweile Katholik und sieht die Ökumene sehr positiv. Das Singen im Gottesdienst liebt er noch immer sehr. Sein Lieblingslied in der Weihnachtszeit ist keines der wunderschönen englischen Christmas carols, sondern „Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht“. Für unsere Leser*innen singt er das Lied in englischer Sprache.