Happy new Year!

Happy new Year for Everyone!

This year lays in front of us, just like an empty sheet of paper. It’s waiting to become lettered. Which are your plans for the future? What will happen unplanned? Which unexpected events might become a more or less important mark on your personal sheet of paper? Which will find their way on mine?

Some plans are already in a state to become realized. Others are still vague. And many, many events are even not in my mind.

I also have a German Sylvester tradition for you. For many decades each year many TV stations broadcast a sketch on December 31st here in Germany. It’s recorded back in 1963 in a theater. Both actors are British: Freddie Frinton and May Warden. The whole story runs in english. In the opening scene a german speaking narrator sums the play up. In the 1960s there were not many people speaking or understanding english here in Germany. So, this was quite necessary for the audience on the TVs.

It’s the story of an old upper class lady celebrating her 90th birthday with her 4 male best friends, just the way she did for decades. Unfortunately, here friends already past away during the past years and left her alone. Despite that, she wants to celebrate her birthday following the same procedure as every year and so, her butler James has to be the substitute for each of her friends. And he does it the best way he can. The broadcasted version is about 18 minutes. Just in case, you have a problem to watch it, thy this version. It’s a bit shorter, only about 11 minutes. But, the story seems to be identical. At least, we have the same actors, but without the narrator. I’d recommend, trying the first link first.

I don’t know, why this sketch is so popular here. But, nearly every one knows the story and (thanks to the narrator) even people without any knowledge of the english language can understand it. Over the years many German comedians have made their own version of the sketch. Some of them are run in local dialects.

During the last about 8 hours of a year, this story runs on most TV stations. Either the original version or one of the dialect versions or even several of them are broadcasted. This movie belongs to Sylvester just like fireworks.

Happy new Year!