Merry Christmas, everybody!

By Patrick

It is Christmas again. Not a white Christmas for us this time, but it is a very special time, as always. We reflect on the last 12 months, take a deep breath for 2013 and try to enjoy ourselves, surrounded by friends and family. This year, it is impossible not to think particularly about those little children and others who lost their life in such a cruel way just before Christmas, and about their relatives.

I have chosen a few video clips to present to you this Christmas. I do hope that you will enjoy them. Politicalgates is a great community of readers and contributors, and we are very much looking to 2013. We will continue our fight for sanity and progress next year. Kathleen and I wish you all a wonderful and happy Christmas!

Talking about Christmas: The "Scottsdale Gun Club" proved in 2011 that something is seriously wrong with some people in America. Never did this kind of thoughtless "gun worshipping" feel more inappropriate. It is a painful stab in the heart of everyone who suffered from a shooting. I hope that these people feel very embarrassed now. Click on picture to enlarge:

Here are the videos I would like to present to you this year:

A reader from Alaska sent us the link to the following sweet video - Christmas at the outer edge of America, in Shaktoolik, Alaska, population 250. That is what we want to see at Christmas - happy, sweet, smiling children:

"26 Angels" - a very moving song about Sandy Hook:

Haha, Kathleen will hate this - but you just have to love Mr Bean! :-)

J. Rutter, Christmas Lullaby, performed by Cologne Cathedral Choirs:

Excerpt from Johann Sebasian Bach - Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 - with English subtitles:

 

This is great - Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus:

FINALLY - you might know by now that Kathleen and I are big fans of Rufus Wainwright, and he did some fantastic pieces for Christmas. Here is one of them - "Spotlight on Christmas":

 Have a peaceful and happy Christmas, everybody!

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UPDATE:

Scenes from our Christmas Eve - with real candles on the tree. In our family, we always eat meat fondue on Christmas Eve, with lots of home-made sauces. Click on pictures to enlarge: