Check out today’s Teatime Titbit:
Last one for 2016
Just thought I’d tell you about two things, which I learnt at a company’s Christmas do (Feier) I was invited to. Every year they invite the new employees (apprentices (Azubi) etc.) to introduce themselves in a special way to the rest of the employees – tell a funny story, read a poem, sing a song whatever.
The first thing I learnt was that it is embarrassing (peinlich) when you don’t know the words to a song, which everyone around you is merrily singing along to – you get the feeling everyone is staring and wondering why the Brit isn’t singing along – shame on him. The answer is simple, I didn’t know all the words to ‘Silent night’ in German – only the chorus. To make sure you don’t end up in such a situation in the future – check out this website: www.carols.org.uk (they also have the lyrics to typical Xmas faves)
The second thing is actually something I heard and thought immediately of you – Teatime Titbiters. I found it online at this site http://www.englishforum.ch/daily-life/133824-english-german-xmas-poem.html but I’m not sure of the origin.
Before I leave you with the text I would like to thank you all for your support and wish you all a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year. C u in 2017.
When the snow falls wunderbar
And the children happy are,
When the Glatteis on the street,
And we all a Glühwein need,
Then you know, es ist soweit:
She is here, the Weihnachtszeit
Every Parkhaus ist besetzt,
Weil die people fahren jetzt
All to Kaufhof, Mediamarkt,
Kriegen nearly Herzinfarkt.
Shopping hirnverbrannte things
And the Christmasglocke rings.
Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Hear the music, see the lights,
Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht,
Merry Christmas allerseits…
Mother in the kitchen bakes
Schoko-, Nuss- and Mandelkeks
Daddy in the Nebenraum
Schmücks a Riesen-Weihnachtsbaum
He is hanging auf the balls,
Then he from the Leiter falls…
Finally the Kinderlein
To the Zimmer kommen rein
And es sings the family
Schauerlich: „Oh, Chistmastree!“
And the jeder in the house
Is packing die Geschenke aus.
Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Hear the music, see the lights,
Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht,
Merry Christmas allerseits…
Mama finds under the Tanne
Eine brandnew Teflon-Pfanne,
Papa gets a Schlips and Socken,
Everybody does frohlocken.
President speaks in TV,
All around is Harmonie,
Bis mother in the kitchen runs:
Im Ofen burns the Weihnachtsgans
And so comes die Feuerwehr
With Tatü, tata daher,
And they bring a long, long Schlauch
And a long, long Leiter auch.
And they schrei – „Wasser marsch!“,
Christmas is – now im – Eimer…
Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Hear the music, see the lights,
Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht,
Merry Christmas allerseits