"Christmas is not a season. It's a feeling"

Christmas - a festival that has changed in meaning for me over the years. In Japan, where I grew up, Christmas is less about family warmth and tradition, but is primarily a day for lovers. It is an occasion for couples to spend time together, enjoy romantic dinners and exchange small gifts. Nevertheless, from mid-November onwards, the streets, malls and shops are magnificently decorated, accompanied by Christmas music and the most tempting specialties, which are offered in every imaginable variation. But the meaning of the festival remains different - less contemplative, more modern and worldly.

When I came to Germany, I experienced Christmas in a new light. My first years as a student in East Westphalia were characterized by intensive practice phases during the Christmas holidays. The almost empty university rooms offered a rare peace, which I used for concentrated work. But outside, in the snowy winter landscape, there was an atmosphere that touched me. It was as if nature itself was pausing to offer some light to counter the darkness of December.

Over time, my experience of Christmas has evolved. The first celebration in a relationship - it felt like a quiet new beginning. The first Christmas tree in the apartment, lovingly decorated. The first home-cooked Christmas meal, complete with duck, red cabbage, dumplings and home-baked cookies. It is these small rituals that gradually gave the celebration more depth and familiarity.

For several years now, I have regularly accompanied my husband to his Christmas Eve mass. When only candles and the Christmas tree are lit in the dark church and "Silent Night" is playing, time seems to stand still for a moment. In these minutes, I realize how beneficial and necessary such breaks are in our hectic everyday lives.

Perhaps the position of Christmas in the calendar is no coincidence. The days until December 21st are getting shorter and shorter, and this darkness can be felt as early as October. The weeks before Christmas are often packed with tasks, obligations and to-do lists that would take twice as long. This makes the opportunity to pause, press the pause button and become quiet during the holidays all the more valuable.

This silence invites us to reflect on the past year. What are we grateful for? What moved us? And what are we relieved about that it is over? Change is part of life, as is letting go and starting anew. What remains is the conscious decision to perceive the small moments of peace - the fleeting moments in which everything seems to be in balance.

As this year comes to a close, I wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and blessed holidays. May 2025 be a year full of health, gratitude and small, quiet moments that remind us of what really matters.