Some festive trivia for you. (I can't bear to put any more depressive stuff on asylum policies or difficult neighbours up here you'll be glad to know):
There you have it. Germans like Christmas trees more than their families. Little wonder then that I feel incomplete without my wee tree in the living room.

I can just imagine what the survey looked like:
Q1: How important is it for you to have a Christmas tree?
a) essential  b) important c) middling  d) not important  e) would rather not have one
Q2 ...
Q3 ...
...
Q10: How important is it to spend time with your relatives at Christmas?
a) essential b) important c) middling d) not so important e) would rather not spend time with them

I feel you don't have to be German to be more likely to answer e) in Q10 than e) in Q1; or to be more likely to answer a) in Q10 than a) in Q1. Call me heartless, but you don't chose your family, but you can chose your Christmas tree ;)

Bye the way, I'm German, don't have a Christmas tree, and can't wait to spend it with my future in-laws and my dad, and admit to be glad they've both got Christmas trees! And this bit of Reuters' German bashing really cheered me up today! No irony, it did!

Merry Christmas and peace, justice, compassion, understanding, mindfulness, insight, clarity, truth, energy, tolerance, kindness, joy and happyness to all of you!