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Christmas gift tips: What makes you and your children happy in Advent

2022-11-26T10:32:38.153Z


Christmas gift tips: What makes you and your children happy in Advent Created: 11/26/2022 11:23 am By: Katja Kraft Diving into books is like taking a pre-Christmas getaway. If you then make yourself comfortable like our editor Katja Kraft in the hotel lobby like in the Four Seasons in Munich, you will definitely get into the Advent mood. © Achim Frank Schmidt Christmas is coming! Here we prese


Christmas gift tips: What makes you and your children happy in Advent

Created: 11/26/2022 11:23 am

By: Katja Kraft

Diving into books is like taking a pre-Christmas getaway.

If you then make yourself comfortable like our editor Katja Kraft in the hotel lobby like in the Four Seasons in Munich, you will definitely get into the Advent mood.

© Achim Frank Schmidt

Christmas is coming!

Here we present CDs, books and films that will help you relax.

And by the way, everything suddenly feels wonderfully Christmassy.

Our tips.

With so much gift buying, winter sales and Christmas market crowds, you don't get into the festive mood at all?

Our tip: Take a break and take time for yourself and your loved ones.

Here we present music, books and films that will help you calm down - and by the way, everything suddenly feels wonderfully Christmassy.

Have fun!

CD: Through the winter with Louis Armstrong

What a question!

When Louis Armstrong invites you to take a walk through the winter wonderland, you naturally grab your boots and sleds and stomp along.

It doesn't matter how many times you've heard the Christmas classic "Winter Wonderland" - Armstrong's interpretation grabs you like a gentle gust of snow.

With his unmistakable voice that sounds like it was accidentally roasted with the chestnuts.

And this incredibly casual way of swinging the syllables.

The gifted jazz trumpeter and singer (1901-1971) always put his life "in the service of happiness".

So it's no wonder that he has the entire repertoire of the dark season, when people particularly long for some joy.

For the first time, the CD brings together all the Christmas tracks interpreted by Armstrong as a coherent complete work.

From "White Christmas" to "I've got my love to keep me warm" (with Ella Fitzgerald) to his most beautiful, touching "What a wonderful world" regardless of the season.

Go into the ear, stay in the heart.

(Louis Armstrong: "Louis wishes you a cool Yule". Universal.)

Book: A fairy tale of our time

Writing modern fairy tales is an art few have mastered.

Michael Köhlmeier, for example, the Austrian master of storytelling wild birds.

Ingvild H. Rishøi comes from the rough north.

She chooses a more melancholic tone.

Her fairy tale of our time, Other Stars, is subtitled A Christmas Carol.

But here no miser turns into a benefactor.

This is not the tale of the miracle of a winter night.

But one about all the people where the longed-for miracle does not materialize.

Who only wrote down one wish for the Christ Child – but whose letter must have gotten lost between the desk and heaven.

People like Ronja and Melissa.

They live in Oslo with their father.

But no matter how lovingly the dad is sober, when drunk he turns into a neglected talker.

He is often drunk

basically always.

It is a dreamy, harrowing, true, contemporary saga with which the Norwegian author alludes to Andersen's "The Little Match Girl".

But hope keeps flaring up.

Like a matchstick.

Fabulous.

(Ingvild H. Rishøi: "Other Stars". Dumont, 152 p.; 20 euros.)

Children's book: Against bullying and exclusion

Suddenly all the colors are gone.

No, there's nothing glitteringly enchanting about snow in Tine Mortier's fantastic story, The Coldest Winter, with the equally fantastic illustrations by Alain Verster.

This book for children aged nine and over was rightly awarded the International Youth Library's White Ravens Prize.

Because the author takes the young readers seriously, with all their worries and their sadness.

Because worries and sadness know no puppy protection.

It's a story about exclusion, about bullying, about preferring to be alone than giving in to the meanness of the group.

It's about guilt and dead ends that you've maneuvered yourself into.

And about how good it feels to talk about it.

Mortier does not claim that everything is fine after such a confession.

But it gets easier

when the burden of a secret falls away;

and the one who faces his demons, a little bit bigger.

Outgrown the fearful self.

The Belgian tells all this in a sensual, honest way.

This isn't a Heititeiti children's book, just as children aren't always chubby and sweet.

But sometimes quite angry;

and pretty brutal.

And pretty lonely.

Touched.

Not just at Christmas time.

Touched.

Not just at Christmas time.

Touched.

Not just at Christmas time.

(Tine Mortier/Alain Verster: "The Coldest Winter". Karl Rauch, 68 pages; 20 euros.)

Wonderful Christmas stories for exquisite Advent evenings

Every year there are as many new anthologies of pretty Christmas stories as there are lights on the Christmas market.

It's also simply a pleasure to sit down with friends and family and do what we've forgotten a bit over the past few years, shaped by the invention of the smartphone: listen quietly and undisturbed.

In order for this to succeed, it has to be a thrilling story that one after the other reads aloud in the happy Advent round.

It's the selection that Jürgen Hosemann and Sascha Michel made in “Christmas Stories for Happy Hours”.

From Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832), Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940), Joachim Ringelnatz (1883-1934) to Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) and Roger Willemsen (1955-2016) to Reinhold Messner (born 1944):

They all let us share in special memories around Christmas.

And lo and behold: It doesn't matter whether we relive the last, magical day of school before the Christmas holidays with Joseph Roth (1894-1939) or the greatest childhood foolishness in the excitement before the visit of the Christ Child with Ilse Aichinger (1921-2016) - this special feeling, which only arises in the weeks leading up to Christmas Eve, remains the same across all generations.

Even the smartphone can't change anything about it.

that only occurs in the weeks before Christmas Eve remains the same across all generations.

Even the smartphone can't change anything about it.

that only occurs in the weeks before Christmas Eve remains the same across all generations.

Even the smartphone can't change anything about it.

(J. Hosemann/S. Michel: "Christmas stories for happy hours". Fischer, 192 p.; 12 euros.)

For children and adults: Janosch!

If you're really lucky, you'll keep a childlike, unobstructed view of the world for the rest of your life.

Just like Janosch, 91 years old, inventor of the tiger duck, author of more than 300 books, illustrator and painter.

Children have been growing up with his stories for 50 years.

It's actually always fairy tales for adults that pull the boards off our heads.

Janosch himself has no children because he thinks that they would generally be better off if they had animals as mom and dad instead of people.

Because: “They know how to raise their young.” And so Janosch dedicates story after story to his animal heroes.

They also appear in this tiger-yellow Reclam booklet: the little tiger, the little mouse Tütü, Auntie Goose and the Christmas bear.

In 24 chapters and plenty of colorful illustrations, the author tells a pre-Christmas parable of real life.

As always, he enigmatically caricatures the world of adults.

And when Mother Hulda kisses, it snows from above.

Nice!

(Janosch: "The Christmas bear is coming tomorrow". Reclam Verlag, 127 pages; 6 euros.)

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Audio book tip for the trip to the hunchbacked relatives

When it's "Driving home for Christmas" again, this CD belongs in the car.

The short stories by various authors set the mood in a funny and all too true way for the time that is often sung about as the most wonderful time of the year - but with too much contact with the mishpoke it can also be wonderfully exhausting.

Great read by speakers like Nana Spier or Elmar Börger.

Happy journey home!

(Dietmar Bittrich (ed.): "Tomorrow, Helga, there will be something". Argon.)

Romance novel: “The Little Book Village.

winter glitter"

It's a pity that the staade time for many only begins after Christmas.

Because in the weeks leading up to it they are more preoccupied with preparing than pausing.

Should one change.

For example, by simply giving yourself and your brain a break on a winter evening.

And read this romance novel, which neither wants to teach nor broaden the horizon - but just casually entertaining.

A trip to Katharina Herzog's book village is like a heartbreak movie with Hugh Grant: totally predictable, full of love, with a bit of drama.

Happy ending - what else?

- guaranteed.

The starting point is in Munich: from there, art dealer Vicky sets out for a small town that one wishes would actually exist in Scotland like that.

Lo and behold: in the afterword, the author tells

that the real model of this village, in which one bookshop follows the other, is Wigtown in Scotland.

“With a population of 1,000 people, there are around ten antiquarian bookshops there.” Do the 1,000 people sweeten community life with such beautiful rituals as the villagers in the book?

You ask yourself while lying in the hot tub, by candlelight - and daydreaming without a guilty conscience.

May be.

by candlelight - and daydreaming without a guilty conscience.

May be.

by candlelight - and daydreaming without a guilty conscience.

May be.

(Katharina Herzog: "The little book village. Winter glitter". Rowohlt, 352 pages; 15 euros.)

Children's film for cuddling up on long winter afternoons

And when the thread of patience while waiting for the Christ child is only as thin as an angel's hair, children of primary school age can be made happy with "Christmas in the magic owl forest".

The Estonian director Anu Aun has made a film that adults can use to take an hour and a half out of the hectic winter into winter bliss.

Snuggled up in blankets with a hot chocolate and slouched in front of the TV – the modern fairy tale is perfect for a cozy afternoon.

Aun relies on what not only children love in Advent: lots of snow, lots of laughter, lots of conviviality.

Because Eia's (Paula Rits) parents have to work on the holidays, the ten-year-old spends the holidays on a friend's farm.

The girl who closely observes the magic owl forest that surrounds the farm and captures it with a pen instead of a cell phone camera,

finds many friends here and finally exuberant joy, unlike her parents who are stressed out at work.

Likeable main actors, fantastic nature shots, heartwarming message.

Advent can be so kitsch-free and beautiful.

(Anu Aun: "Christmas in the Magic Owl Forest" (justbridge).)

A bit of kitsch is allowed: Luke Evans "A Song for You"

Would you like an extra portion of feeling?

But hello!

The actor Luke Evans ("Robin Hood") studied singing and theater before his film career.

Since 2019 he has been enjoying reinterpreting pop hits.

"A Song for You", a collection of timelessly catchy love songs from "You raise me up" to "Say something" (with Nicole Kidman), will be released in time for Advent.

And of course the inevitable “Last Christmas”.

But without it, something would be missing.

languish.

(Luke Evans: "A Song for You". BMG.)

Children's book: Christmas mail from cuddly rabbit Felix

Of course you can still be very excited as a school child.

When it gets dark earlier in the evening, when the streets smell of roasted almonds, cinnamon and cloves, mum and dad allow you to light the crimson candles at home with matches.

Because all the changed scents, lights, colors mean that the pre-Christmas season is beginning.

Of course, first-time readers have known the girl Sophie and her cuddly bunny Felix for a long time.

In order to shorten the waiting time until the day when the Christ child comes, they could read this nice little picture book to their little siblings from the age of three.

“First Christmas letters from Felix” also has handwritten greetings from the cuddly toy rabbit.

But here on folding cards that are easier to open for toddler fingers and with shorter texts.

Reminds how beautiful it is

to get the same mail.

Pull out the colored pencils and start coloring.

It's twice as fun with cookies and cocoa.

(A. Langen/C. Droop: "First Christmas letters from Felix". Coppenrath, 12 pages; 10 euros.)

Romance in Paris: "A Thousand Lights Over the Seine"

Nicolas Barreau also knows how to, well, probably especially make the hearts of female readers beat faster.

In this novel, the author takes us to pre-Christmas Paris.

That's where Joséphine lives, who has a problem that we know from a number of Hollywood films: she's in her early 30s, but the impatient relatives can't produce a husband or children.

Because we live in the 21st century today, that shouldn't be a problem.

Because this is a Christmas novel and some families in the 21st century have not yet fully realized that, of course, Joséphine is constantly confronted with her childless single existence - until she announces in desperation that she will bring a steady partner with her on Christmas Eve bring parental living room.

Sounds familiar from other stories

but doesn't do anything.

People like to accompany Joséphine on her advent roller coaster ride of emotions.

It's all pretty complicated: heart lost to a married man, lost translator's job due to the closure of the publishing house, and then the uncle dies.

And leaves her - a houseboat on the Seine.

Then what happens?

Pour red wine and cast off for an expected, but surprisingly pretty, winter love spell.

(Nicolas Barreau: "A thousand lights over the Seine". Kindler, 304 pages; 20 euros.)

Jazzrausch Bigband: "Every year again!"

Actually, you have to hear it live, of course.

Because when the Jazzrausch Bigband starts, not only daughter Zion is happy.

Roman Sladek founded this energetic formation in Munich eight years ago, and since then the brilliant musicians have been stirring up the classical concert scene.

If they play in the Elbphilharmonie, for example, in the end even the stiffest Hamburger can no longer stay seated.

The intoxicating jazz noise rhythms go straight from the ears to the legs.

And you can't help but swing along.

Now her Christmas record has been released.

It's called "Every year again!" - but nothing here sounds like monotonous repetition.

You can see the little children frolicking through the snow, you can hear their laughter in the high horns.

Gently Maria ventures through the thorn forest,

meanwhile the roses audibly drive out.

According to the motto "In dulci jubilo" (with Leopold Betzl), the Jazzrauscher celebrate the message of Christmas: joy, joy everywhere!

Definitely with this record.

(Jazzrausch Bigband: "Every year again!". ACT.)

Book tip: Romance in the hotel

Hotels.

Perhaps the most dazzling stages in our world.

On the one hand you should feel at home here, on the other hand you are courted as a guest - this is how this inimitable magical atmosphere is created, between cosiness and great performance.

Especially in grand hotels with their nostalgia-soaked patina that tells of illustrious guests, dramas, joys.

Felicity Pickford used to work in hotels herself and manages to bring their special magic to life.

Her "Christmas Miracle in the Small Grand Hotel" is the perfect book for anyone who has booked into a beautiful house over the holidays.

One like 24 Charming Street on the Isle of Skye, so invitingly described in the novel.

Every year, one guest of honor is allowed to stay here free of charge in the Christmas suite during the festive season.

This time there's a little confusion - and the confusion begins.

It's best read on a cold winter's day in the hotel bar by the crackling fireplace.

Cared for by nothing but good spirits.

Ah, Christmas.

If not now then when?

(Felicity Pickford: "Christmas Miracle in the Small Grand Hotel". Goldmann, 224 pages; 18 euros.)

Audio book tip for children: Fun with the Christmas dragon

That's really mean: Whether it's the little surprises in the Advent calendar, freshly baked cookies or the delicacies at the Christmas market - everything stinks of vinegar.

How is that supposed to get into the Christmas spirit?

And who is behind this witchcraft?

That's what Mats and Matilda want to find out with their friend, the Christmas dragon - and make sure that by Christmas Eve at the latest, everything smells like gingerbread, tangerines and pine needles again.

Felix von Manteuffel doesn't need any other voice actors to bring Tobias Goldfarb's story to life for children aged six and over.

He turns into a dragon, a girl and a boy, into parents - and into the evil forces that want to destroy the festival.

It is the second volume in the "Spekulatius" series.

But you don't have to know volume one to understand everything.

An exciting story for long winter evenings.

And a good portion of speculoos.

Everything else is vinegar.

(Tobias Goldfarb: "Spekulatius, the Christmas dragon", read by Felix von Manteuffel, Argon audio book.)

Source: merkur

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