On Christmas Eve and Christmas day in Germany, it really does tend to be Silent Night, with the sidewalks rolled up pretty much everywhere.

Come New Year’s Eve, however, the scenario couldn’t be more different.

From tiny villages to bustling metropolises, as the midnight hour on Silvester approaches, the streets begin to come alive with revelers. In many households, TVs are tuned in to the festivities in Berlin, and a toast with the German bubbly known as Sekt marks the magic hour itself. Once the year has been duly greeted, a great number of people will take to the streets. They’re heading out of doors not to watch municipally sponsored displays of fireworks, but to shoot off their own mini-arsenals they’ve amassed over a three-day period between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

According to handelsdaten.de, Germans are expected to spend about 137 million euros on rockets, firecrackers and other things that go boom in the night, a figure similar to the amount they spent procuring the pyrotechnics used to greet the start of 2018.

The sale and shooting off of fireworks is strictly governed by law. The “Klasse 2” category of fireworks (rockets, Roman candles, light fountains), can only be purchased by those ages 18 or over. The window for purchasing Klasse 2 fireworks in 2018 is between Dec. 28 and Dec. 31 (but note most shops shut around mid-day on this date).

The law of the land states that fireworks can only be shot off only within the 48-hour window between December 31 and Jan. 1. Cities and towns might also impose their own even narrower restrictions.

Should you choose to enter the fireworks fray, you’d do well to observe the following:

• The chances of getting hit by a stray rocket are high. Small kids don’t belong out there, period.
• To avoid scorch marks on your holiday finery or brand-new parka, ditch your nice coat in favor of something old and expendable.
• Hats, gloves and even protective eyewear wouldn’t be amiss. It really can be a jungle out there.

Some sad drunks think it’s all fun and games to shoot fireworks directly into the crowds. If that’s the case, extract yourself from the situation immediately. A visit to the emergency room is no way to start the New Year!

To live stream the Silvester action from Brandenburg Gate, go online.

From 9:45 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. the following day, they’ll be broadcasting the moderation and the musical acts on stage there, to include Nico Santos, Alice Merton, Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Bonnie Tyler and a Village People reunion of sorts with the original native American, soldier and construction worker characters taking to the stage.

Moving to Europe is a big change for the entire family, and children certainly feel this impact as they leave behind familiar schedules, classrooms, friends and neighborhoods. Here are ways to make the transition as smooth as possible for your kiddos. 

Establish routines

The importance of routines in child development should not be understated. Childhood is wrought with uncertainty because children’s bodies and minds are constantly transforming as they grow and learn. Establishing routines will help children handle the additional emotional and environmental changes as you get settled. Anxiety about the transition is reduced, which results in better-behaved, better-rested and happier children. 

• Set sleeping schedules as soon as possible to help your children adjust to the time change, climate differences and varying hours of sunlight. 
• Rehearse school or day care routines, from getting ready in the morning to walking to the bus stop and doing homework. 
• If possible, take your children to their day care or school to meet their caregivers or teachers and see the new setting in advance.
• This will ease discomfort when they arrive on their first day. Make sure your routine includes time for your children’s favorite activities so that they feel rewarded and have time for fun.

Get kids involved 

Include your children throughout the transition. Giving them tasks and roles instills a sense of responsibility and increases their self-confidence. Let them help unpack and give them freedom to organize their living space. 

Schedule social time with classmates and families in the neighborhood to help your children make new friends. 

Sign your children up for after-school activities to increase their social interaction and enrich their personal development. You’ll also get the chance to meet new parents and build a local support structure. 

Contact a School Liaison Officer (SLO) to request a youth sponsor for your child. Having a peer to “show them the ropes” makes a new place less threatening and provides a resource to meet new friends. 

Explore your host country

Maintain an enthusiastic outlook about your arrival in Europe, even if you are having doubts. Your children will look to you a great deal during this transition. If you’re upset, they will be too. 

Engage in the local culture. Eat meals on the economy, attend local fests, learn about local traditions and incorporate those that you love. Address the differences between life in Europe versus back home, but move conversations in a positive direction; focus on how things are dissimilar, rather than weird, wrong or worse. Your children will gain an appreciation for diversity while exploring. 

Enroll your children in host-nation language lessons; it is easier to pick up a new language while they are young! This will help them feel like they fit in while reducing trepidation about traveling and conversing with local children. 

Travel around the continent to see the best of Europe. Let children assist in trip planning by researching and selecting sites or activities that they would like to enjoy. Take photos and work together to create scrapbooks, photo albums, calendars, collages and other creative projects. 

Remain in touch with life back home

While adjusting to everything new, don’t forget about life back home. Set regular Skype, FaceTime or phone dates with friends and family. If your children are allowed online, encourage them to utilize social media and email to stay in touch with friends, or have them send postcards from the destinations they visit. 

Continue the traditions that are important in your family, whether it’s Monday movie nights, playing basketball in the driveway or making chocolate chip cookies on Christmas Eve. If you’re not sure which traditions your kids love the most, take the time to ask. 

Expect an adjustment period

Give your children time to process all of the changes, both good and bad, that come with their new environment. Be aware of expat child syndrome, a psychological condition that typically occurs in children ages 10 to 15 and can lead to isolative or unruly behavior. 

Make yourself available in case children want to talk, but also offer other support options, such as journaling and creative avenues, reconnecting with friends and relatives back home, or speaking with a counselor. There are people, programs, & resources to help. 

Military Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) are available to meet in-person on or off the military installation. The free non-medical sessions with child behavioral specialists are anonymous and may occur in individual, couple, family or group settings. Contact your SLO or family services agency to find an MFLC. Adolescent Support and Counseling Services (ASACS) can assist students struggling with transition and other issues. Military OneSource has access to free non-medical counseling that’s anonymous and available online, on the phone or in person. Twelve free sessions may occur in individual, couple, family or group settings.

Helpful websites

• AHA Parenting
• Expat Child
• Expat Exchange
• Expat Info Desk
• Healthy Children
• Military Kids Connect
• Military One Source
• Europe.ArmyMWR.com

One of the first pieces of advice that I received upon arriving in Germany was to find an organization that interests me and volunteer. Little did I know, that volunteer work would lead me to the rewarding career path that I’ve always wanted. Volunteering is not only a great way to help those around you and to strengthen your community, but it also helps yourself. Volunteer work offers numerous opportunities for professional development. From skill building, to networking and more, volunteering could be the key to finally finding and landing that great job you’ve been looking for.

1. Networking

Often times, finding meaningful employment is just as much about who you know as what you know. Volunteer work offers you the chance to meet likeminded people, foster connections and get your name known in the right circles.

2. Skill building

Many in the workforce have faced this frustrating Catch 22: In order to get a job, you need experience, but you can’t gain that experience without working in that field. Through volunteering, you can put your existing skills to work and expand your skillset. Without the strict requirements of paid employment, volunteers are often free to take on new tasks and broaden their professional horizons.

3. Find a mentor

Other volunteers working alongside you are there because they want to help people. Chances are, you fall under that altruistic umbrella too. While talking to your fellow peers and learning about what field others are working in, you may meet someone who is doing exactly what you’ve always wanted to do. Strike up a conversation with that person and see if they can guide you down your desired career path.

4. Find your passion

Stepping out of your comfort zone in volunteer work could surprise you. It isn’t feasible to jump from job to job, career field to career field until you figure out what is most rewarding. But volunteer work can be wide and varied. You have the freedom to branch out and explore new things.

These are only a few of the many ways in which volunteer work can add to your professional life. For a complete list of volunteer opportunities available in the Kaiserslautern Military Community and information on how to get involved, contact the Airmen and Family Readiness Center at 480-5100 or 06371-47-5100.

With Christmas over, it's time to pitch your tree. However, you can't simply throw it in the black bag or brown recycling bin. Landkreis Kaiserslautern has announced their 2019 tree pick up schedule. 

Jan. 14: Miesau, Elschbach, Buchholz, Bruchmühlbach, Vogelbach, 

Jan. 15: Langwieden, Lambsborn, Gerhardsbrunn, Martinshöhe, Bann, Oberarnbach, Mittelbrunn, Queidersbach

Jan. 16: Linden, Krickenbach, Schopp, Stelzenberg, Langensohl, Trippstadt, Johaniskreuz, Waldleiningen, Frankenstein, Fischbach

Jan. 17: Hochspeyer, Enkenbach, Alsenborn

Jan. 18: Sembach, Neuhemsbach, Mehlingen

Jan. 21: Weilerbach, Rodenbach, Erzenhausen, Samuelshof, Eulenbis, Schwedelbach, Pörrbach

Jan 22: Frankelbach, Olsbrücken, Sulzbachtal, Mehlbach, Katzweiler, Hirschhorn

Jan. 23: Heiligenmoschel, Schallodenbach, Schneckenhausen, Niederkirchen, Heimkirchen, Wörsbach, Morbach

Jan. 24: Baalborn, Otterberg, Drehenthalerhof

Jan. 25: Otterbach, Sambach

Jan. 28: Mackenbach, Kollweiler, Reichenbach-Steegen, Fockenberg-Limbach, Albersbach, Obermohr, Kirchmohr, Schrollbach, Reuschbach, Weltersbach

Jan. 29: Ramstein, Miesenbach, Kottweiler0Schwanden, Steinwenden

Jan. 30: Hauptstuhl, Spesbach, Hütschenhausen, Katzenbach, Niedermohr

Jan. 31: Landstuhl

Feb. 1: Kindsbach

Your Christmas trees needs to be at the curb before 6 a.m. on collection day. Make sure your remove all the decorations or your tree will still be by the curb when you get home.

Every December from the time I was a toddler to my junior year of high school, my mother hosted a dessert buffet. At sunset, the house was bathed in soft candlelight and smelled of cinnamon as mulled wine simmered on the stove. I stayed out of the way as Mom rushed to put the finishing touches on the dozen or so desserts she’d been preparing for days. 

From 8 p.m. onward, guests in beaded dresses and tweed suits arrived in waves to make small talk, sip spiked eggnog, and enjoy two-tone fudge, trifle, pralines and other surprises. Mom limited my portions when I was young, but I found grown-ups willing to sneak an extra slice of cake or scoop of pudding for me. In my teen years, I discretely served myself seconds and thirds. 

Now in my 30s, I continue my mom’s southern traditions and satisfy my dessert stomach by baking holiday treats for work, parties and dinners. These are a few favorite recipes:

• Drunken Fruit Bake
• Chocolate Coconut Bread Pudding
• Red Berry and Brownie Cheesecake Trifle