Overview
- President Frank‑Walter Steinmeier’s Christmas address frames the feast as light in darkness and asks for a “spark of courage” to begin anew.
- Magdeburg Bishop Gerhard Feige says Christmas fosters hope and declares völkisch nationalism incompatible with Christianity, stressing human dignity and mercy.
- Evangelical bishop Christian Stäblein highlights the gospel call “Fear not” and points to congregations as networks against loneliness.
- In Speyer, volunteers open Christmas‑Eve gatherings backed by local groups and the ASB so people who would be alone, including unhoused residents, can celebrate together.
- Berlin’s political quarter winds down as leaders plan quiet family holidays, while many households favor time together over gifts, exemplified by one‑present rules and shared‑experience giving.