It’s better not to try and translate your Christmas wishes from German into English. Write your text directly in English. It will sound a lot better.

Perhaps some of my ideas can inspire you?

• We wish you a merry Christmas and all the best for the coming year.
• Christmas greetings and all good wishes for your health and happiness in the coming year.
• During this season of giving, let us take time to slow down and to enjoy the simple things in life. Wishing you a very special Christmas.
• Best wishes to you and your family during this holiday season.
• The gift of love, peace and happiness. May all these be yours at Christmas.
• It’s the time of eggnog, candles, cakes, songs, reindeer, carols, laughter—and most importantly LOVE. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
• May your home be filled with Christmas songs, cakes, chocolate and all the love that this festive season brings.
• The spirit of Christmas should not be just for one day but for the whole year! Have a wonderful Christmas.
• Wishing you love, joy and peace the whole year round. Merry Christmas.

And, of course, you can always ask Google for more ideas.

Do you also find this chandelier very kitschy?

According to urbandictionary.com kitsch is ‘melodramatic, overdone, gaudy and tacky or sentimental and folksy’.

We can’t find a better word in English so we use the German! Now isn’t that uber cool?

Just type the word ‘kitsch’ into Google and press on ‘images’, and you’ll find lots and lots of kitschy pictures!

Of course, what you find kitschy, I might even like! 😉

Watch Aldi’s Christmas advert entitled “The Christmas Carrot“.

It’s the story of miserly Ebanana Scrooge—and how he is reminded of the joys of the festive season by Kevin the Carrot.

(It’s amazing how you can improve your vocabulary by just reading the subtitles. This is not business English, but it’s the English you might need in a general conversation!)

I wonder if you know these Christmas words? Would you like to test yourself?

Lichterketten
Weihnachtskugeln
Weihnachtslied
Eierlikör
Lebkuchen
Ilex, Efeu und Mistel
ein Krippenspiel
Heiligabend
1. Weihnachtstag
2. Weihnachtstag

Lichterketten – fairy lights
Weihnachtskugeln – baubles
Weihnachtslied – Christmas carol
Eierlikör – eggnogg
Lebkuchen – gingerbread
Ilex, Efeu und Mistel – holly, ivy and mistletoe
ein Krippenspiel – a nativity play
Heiligabend – Christmas Eve
1. Weihnachtstag – Christmas Day
2. Weihnachtstag – Boxing Day

So how did it go? Was it easy for you?

I often hear people here in Germany talk about the first day of Christmas and the second day. We don’t say that. We only have the one day, Christmas Day. The day afterwards is called Boxing Day. It’s strange, but people seem to forget it!

You’d like to explain to someone in simple terms what coaching actually is?

This one minute video clip by MTD Training can help you.

And if you’re a coach, you might like to ask yourself whether you’re facilitating or telling.

Just something to think about!