20*C+M+B+16

We Brits have a problem with mainland Europe. Just the other day, a nasty bashful Frog took the morning ferry from Cherbourg and landed at Hastings causing a bloody eye for one or more of the OAPs taking in the sea air on a morning walk. Dreadful. For centuries we held off the attempt to build a tunnel bringing hordes of rabid, garlic smelling tourists to our coast and wooeing our girls away..

Well in fact thats not the whole story . The tradition here in Germany and in several parts of  Europe of the Epiphany "Sternsinger" (Star Singers) was probably started by the Brits in 1417 at a church synod held near here in Konstanz on Lake Constance. Since then the Germans have had to pay out a lot thanks to the Brits.... but at least it is nowadays for charity.

Young ones (girls and boys) dress up as the three wise men and go from door to door, singing a song or reciting a text and collecting funds for children in foreign countries, this year with emphasis on Bolivia. Lat year they collected over 45million Euros in Germany. For their own use, it is normal to give them bars of chocolates etc which they divide out at the end of the day.

Where possible it's done on 6th January but often the Sunday before. We are lucky to have Mums who load their group in to a van and transport them out to us.

They leave in chalk the sign in the Blip over the house entrance. If you are in Germany especially here in Bavaria, you may well see the sign in public buildings such as hospitals and possibly on the odd airport door. It is thought of as being a catholic tradition but has for a long time been ecumenical. You will almost certainly see it here on every stable door and pub. Somehow feel naked without it.

This is what they looked like last year - this year I was not about as they arrived and the front door area was crowded with ladders and tools as I try to find a short circuit on the ancient wrought iron light hanging over the entrance and blowing the fuse that also controls the sump pump which keeps our cellar dry-