The New Christmas

I’m spending Christmas with my family at my parents’ house, the house I grew up in. Everything seemed to be like every year until my brother arrived yesterday and we had to have the talk. About video games under the Christmas tree. Which were not appreciated last year and will not be allowed this year. 

As a compromise, he moved the living room TV to his bedroom for the duration of the week he is spending here, since this device is apparently the only one that is capable of being connected with the playstation. Now he can blow off people’s heads in the privacy of his room. 

Before a different TV could be organized to fill the empty spot, however, my mum did this:

 

The TV spot filled with heaps of gifts, which, admittedly, are more decorative, there is no room left for a replacement TV, and for the first time since the beginning of time we won’t be watching TV on Christmas!

But what to do instead? Talk? Play boardgames? Yesterday, we went to the Christmas market in Uelzen with the almost complete family (just one brother still missing). That was fun, especially since my parents paid for all the Glühweins and Bratwursts and sweets, AND my dad drove. But back home again, my dad still looked a bit forlorn, sitting in front of the TV spot, missing the seven o’clock news, looking at Christmas gifts instead, and listening to the radio. Since this is all the excitement that happens in our little village I promise to report about new developments in the TV crisis as soon as they arise.

And in this spirit I generically but genuinely wish everyone a merry Christmas, happy Hannukkah, and stable stomachs for the upcoming feasts.