Why I'm participating in "Christmas in a shoebox" - guidelines & acceptance points

A pinch of children's laughter, a drop of happy tears

As I lay there under the small plastic tree that my parents bought in 1995 shortly after we came to Germany and I saw the old Christmas decorations dangling from below, it was as if I could hear the wind in the imaginary forest and as if I were the plastic bird attached to a branch would look at me with direct interest, spread its wings and fly away. It was our first Christmas tree in Germany. It was small, quite ugly and made of plastic. All my friends usually had a big, imposing real Christmas tree. But I defended my sweet little tree like a knight defends his castle.

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Every Christmas decoration is a memory. The dancer, the little ice skater or the gingerbread woman - every figure makes me older, every figure is my memory.

Because as a child, the smallest, cheapest and seemingly most unspectacular things were just magical for me. No matter where I was, who I was with, I was always looking for magic and I didn't even have to look for it because it was there, in my eyes, in my hands and in my ears. Little things, like a nice game day with friends, turned into a great rafting adventure and self-made tents under bunk beds into magical castles. At the time I just thought what an incredibly beautiful life I was leading. And I started collecting and guarding all these little moments as a child. I was as proud of every moment as a mother is of her child. Even when I eventually realized that some children had so much more than me, traveled to other countries, stayed in nice hotels and swam in the sea, I didn't mind at first.

It wasn't until later in my youth that I became sad. I didn't have any of that as a kid, I didn't see the sea or get dinner from a moving toy train. I hadn't visited any cities and taken pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower. And on my first trips I watched the other children and thought how natural these trips must have been for them, how much they must have seen at their young age, much more than I did and I felt betrayed. I felt foolish and stupid for taking so much pleasure in ants in the garden and ridiculous for counting tadpoles in the village pond. Apparently I had no idea what breathtaking places there are in the world, how much more interesting there are than cherry trees and pebbles in our old garden. At the time, as a child, I thought that I would already know the most beautiful places in my world. That was enough for me. And later I felt cheated.

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But now that feeling has gone. Instead, I admire children, I admire my earlier childish imagination, the magic of recognizing beauty in seemingly inconspicuous things and enjoying it, be it the mud in Russia or later the tadpoles in Germany.

Little by little, I clean the layer of dust from my eyes, ears, and hands, removing the accumulated dust of the past few years, until there's room again for glitter, smoke, and the flutter of wings. That's why decorating the Christmas tree is such a joy for me every year before Christmas. Each ornament is a memory, until the tree is hung with stories, heavy and magical. From every winter trip, I bring back two things – lots of photos and new ornaments. And each ornament is like a capsule containing at least one small memory – be it just an ant or a hand-woven friendship ring – every magical memory is precious, however small and insignificant it may seem against the backdrop of this vast world; it's part of my world. But something else sweetens the Advent season for me: packing the shoebox for Christmas in a shoebox .

The wonderful thing about this is that I want to give other children these same memories. I want to give them something, a little package of joy, a shoebox full of warmth, hope, and children's laughter. In this way, I want to thank you for being in this world, for your joy in finding happiness in even the smallest things, for inspiring us adults, motivating us, and for the many things we can learn from you. I want a child somewhere to unpack this shoebox and know that they are not forgotten, that they are needed, and that caring connects us all, across the greatest distances. Would you also like to give the gift of joy? You can find out how you, too, can bring this little bit of happiness to a child in my Shoebox Christmas Guide , where you'll find all the essential information.

Guide to Christmas in a shoebox: Because helping makes life better

1. How can I take part and where can I get a shoebox for the promotion?

It's so easy! All you need is a shoebox (approx. 30 x 20 x 10 cm), which you can cover with wrapping paper of your choice, or you can order the "Box to go" directly from the official website of Geschenke der Hoffnung (Gifts of Hope ) . Last year, I didn't have a suitable box at home, so I politely asked at a shoe store and they gave me one with the right dimensions. Then I covered the box with wrapping paper. You can find lots of tutorials on YouTube and Pinterest showing you how to quickly and easily cover the box.

2. How can I pack a shoebox and what can I put in it?

The gifts should always be new and not used. I always try to put myself in a child's shoes and ask myself what they could be happy about. So for me it's a mix of pens, clothes, sweets and of course (very important!) toys! Many children have never received a gift in their lives, just imagine how happy they are when they get such a colorful mixture of new, beautiful things. It is ideal if the content fits the age and gender of the child, although I personally choose the gifts a little more neutrally and do not only orientate myself on whether it is a boy or a girl.

There are countless gift ideas that both boys and girls can look forward to. So, although I packed a box for a girl last year, I tried not to choose the contents too “pink”, but also put in a few gifts (such as a faux-leather notepad or chocolates) that a girl could also be happy about who might not find dolls and "typical" girl things particularly interesting. But apart from the gifts, a personal greeting, letter or a nice postcard should not be missing. You are also welcome to put a photo of yourself (or your whole family) in it.

3. Which age groups pack the fewest boxes?

Experience has shown that children, especially boys, between the ages of 10 and 14 are the least likely to receive a parcel. On the other hand, shoeboxes are packed most frequently by girls between the ages of 5 and 9. So this year I'm packing my box for a boy between the ages of 10 and 14.

4. Where can I find an acceptance point and when is the submission deadline?

On the Gifts of Hope website , you can easily enter your postal code to find drop-off locations near you. You can participate until November 15th . It is recommended to include a small donation of eight euros per child receiving a gift, either when dropping off the gift or in advance via PayPal.

5. Where does my packed shoebox go?

The shoeboxes are going to Georgia, Lithuania, Latvia, Montenegro, and many other countries. You can find a list of the countries receiving the shoeboxes this year here: Gifts of Hope

"Always remember: Only what you gave away remains in life." Robert Stolz (1880-1975)

If you have any further questions or would like to get involved, I recommend the FAQs from "Gifts of Hope." There you'll find all the information you need about Shoebox Christmas . Otherwise, I wish you lots of fun crafting, packing, and choosing the gifts. For me, the Shoebox Christmas experience in 2017 was definitely one of the most wonderful activities and experiences I've ever had before Christmas.