Christmas Greetings

Basel Christmas Market

Christmas is nearly here! Here's what our Christmas preparations have been like:

"Niggi-Naggi" Parade

We have been counting down the days with an Advent calendar. This tradition is very popular here and I love using small gifts or notes throughout December for the kids. Basel is a great city to get in the holiday spirit with a Christmas market selling something for everyone. In Switzerland, families look forward to the Christkind (baby Jesus) and many people celebrate St. Nicklaus day on December 6th. (St. Nick is locally known as "Niggi Näggi".) We saw a small parade of Santa's on Harleys drive through the city, with their bikes decorated with Christmas lights.

We kicked off the Christmas season over the Thanksgiving holiday in Iceland (yes, Iceland). We also learned about Christmas traditions there, where 13 Yule Lads visit homes bringing presents for children. They are 13 brothers that each cause a little mischief when they visit the house. Their names say it all, for example "Spoon Licker", "Door Slammer" and one of our favorites: "Salami Swiper". You just need to know  what to leave in your shoe each night depending on which lad is visiting. I've written about this before, but Christmas traditions can be confusing for us when there is more than just Santa who can visit your house!

Skogarfoss, Iceland

Our trip to Iceland included a visit to see a Geyser, a city visit to Reykjavik and a drive along the black-sand coast. The scenery is spectacular, and although the weather was not great with a lot of rain, we did experience a clear night where we could see the Aurora Borealis. In fact it was dark for most of our visit -- the sun was up from about 10:30 until 4 pm each day. One of our most memorable days included swimming outside in a thermal pool when it was snowing! We traveled with good family friends, and it was great to spend time together and experience Iceland. And although we missed out on a family Thanksgiving, we will soon be together with family for Christmas. Instead of traditional turkey, we had a special Icelandic lobster meal, a special treat. (The Icelandic dried fish on the other hand is, well, not really a treat.)

Noon-time sun in Iceland

So, now the countdown to Christmas is nearly complete. We've fit in a school Christmas concert with carols and cookies. And last night, I took the boys to see "Die Kleine Nussknacker" ("The Little Nutcracker"); it was a special introduction to the ballet for them and reminded me of the magic of Christmas.

As we take time off from work, spend time together with family, and reflect on the last year, I would like to wish all of our friends and family sincere peace and joy during this time. We hope for health and happiness in the New Year! Best wishes...

und Schöne Festtage!