Hello humans. I … well, I mean, we hope you all have a merry Christmas. Our boss asked me to tell you this year (something) about our own holiday tradition, but that I have no more than a thousand words for it.

I don't really know how I'm supposed to do that.

Anyway, I'll just get started.

While our boss, like every year, buzzes off with his sleigh into the quiet of the night, we finally have some time to ourselves. After all, the work is done. At least for a while. As soon as the boss is back, we'll start again, of course. But until then ...

... the factory premises becomes the scene of a huge get-together. Well, not that we don't have fun during work, but what happens then is on an entirely different level. So really different!

Singing, dancing, and laughing, we all gather in joyous fellowship to celebrate a job well done, with the old frost maidens spitefully thinking that our joyful exuberance is "disgustingly" contagious and would be "polluting" the world with its stenches.

All the better, I say! Is it not the very purpose of these days that the world is united in joyful bliss?

May our cheerfulness flow out to the people and inspire them so that they are full of joy these days!

Let's start from where our boss takes off in his sleigh, and we wish each other a good time.

Of course, all the elves, gnomes, and dwarves have already gathered by this time. And thus, the factory grounds are brimming with anticipation. However, to not distract the boss from his important mission, we wait in patient tension until he is out of sight and hearing before we let loose.

First, the dwarves set a deep, rolling tone while gradually all the elves and gnomes join in with their clearer voices. And as soon as the melody seems to echo from the distant mountains, the fires of joy gradually ignite, illuminating and warming the snowy night.

In no time at all, thanks to a busy hustle and bustle, the colorful Christmas factory is transformed into an even more colorful winter fair, above which the lovely smell of all kinds of delicacies spreads and beguiles the senses.

You can hardly imagine how much is drunk and eaten, sung and danced, frolicked and laughed during this time. Sometimes someone even drinks so much that they don't wake up until the following year. And I don't mean the day after New Year.

Once when Krampus was involved, the dwarves even had to bring in their emergency supplies, and later we had to drag him on rails into the mountains because his snoring not only disturbed Mrs. Santa but made the whole factory grounds shake. The old boy snored there for two years straight, causing regular avalanches of snow. But, gosh, was that year's feast a fun.

By the way, Mrs. Santa always visits her family during this time because she has a similar opinion about our festivities as the old Frostmaidens. After all, they are her distant relatives on her father's side. You surely know that Mrs. Santa is the daughter of Father Frost and Mother Hulda, don't you? Besides, she can't get along with poor Krampus, so she can ensure this way that she'll be able to avoid him should he show up for the festivities.

But even without the presence of Krampus, there is always a lot going on at the annual winter fair, and these days of merriment infuse us with their magic for a whole year.

KEEPING THE TRADITION

The turn of the year is always a big event for everyone. Some associate it with some kind of religious ritual, others rather cultural customs or simply their bond with nature.

In view of our situation, the latter is not without a certain absurdity.

However, maintaining a calendar year with 365 days has proven to be quite positive highlighted, albeit primarily on a psychological level.

Only the elderly know the sun from their own memories.

When O'Brian talks about his last Christmas at his parents' house when he was a child, about getting together the whole family, the Christmas tree, the lights and the great smells and of course the many gifts, then the children literally stick to his lips and can't get enough of his stories.

In a few years, when it is up to the next generation to tell stories from the old world, the stories will certainly slowly change and mix with new ones, other experiences that relate more to our current life.

It would be nice if something from our culture could be preserved through storytelling after we reached our goal.

There will be seasons again, plants and trees, an ocean and stars in the firmament.

The year will have almost 500 days and the day 30 hours. Many new traditions will arise. And in long winter evenings, children will definitely be listening to exciting stories by a warming fire that will inspire their imaginations.

(Almost) Waiting for Santa

Sarah watched the flickering lights on the tree outside her window, hugging her reindeer plushie to her chest as she waited. Every year, she always fell asleep before Santa arrived, but this year, she was determined to see the man in the red suit. Her parents had told her that he wouldn’t come if she was watching, but that would only be if he knew, right? She had kept her room dark, with her blankets piled around her, so it would look like she was in bed. After all, someone must have seen him at least once, or else how would anyone know that he was a jolly fat old man in a red suit, with a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer?

Minutes ticked away towards an hour. Sarah repressed a yawn. It was late, and there was still no sign of Santa Claus or his sleigh. Not even one flying reindeer. Then again, Santa had to deliver presents to the entire world and there was nothing to say that her house would be near the top of the list.

It wouldn’t hurt to shut her eyes for a little, would it? She wasn’t going to fall asleep, of course, and she should hear his sleigh, right? Everyone knew that the reindeer had jingle bells on their harnesses, so she’d hear them coming, and then she could get up and watch them arrive. She snuggled under her warm covers. She’s just lie here, pretending to sleep, so that Santa would come and then…

Sarah? Sarah, are you… oh well. I guess there’s always next year.

Inspiration: By the age when we were young enough to want to wait up so that we could see Santa… and too young to manage to pull it off