There are few days left until Christmas, enjoy

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24th December

Libera - Silent Night
Please stop the music before you start to watch the videos.
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The original lyrics for the song in German, "Stille Nacht", was written by Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by Franz X. Gruber. It is said that there exist over 300 translations of the song in the world.
You may find 193 versions of Silent Night in 130 different languages here.

BETHLEHEM

Over two thousand years ago, in a town called Bethlehem, the first Christmas was celebrated with the birth of Jesus Christ. On that most holy of nights, a small group of people became the first Christians through the celebration of Christ’s virgin birth. It goes without saying that for a Christmas celebration to occur, the presence of a Christian people is a prerequisite.

While Bethlehem, and much of the modern de facto state of Palestine, is the birth place of Christianity, it is also a land where Humanity is dying under a war that no body can understand. During centuries the face of violence against children never changed. Mary and Josef did not find a lodging 2000 years ago, because people did not want to help them and so they had to stay in a stable. There Mary gave birth to Jesus. Children in war regions all over the world have to life in the same bad condiditions nowadays

We wish you a merry and peaceful Christmas!

Have a look on Bethelehem 2000 years ago and now, through the eyes of a kid...
produced by Wafa from Palestine

The sides of this virtual advent calendar have been created by members of 27 nations:

Argentina	Australia	Austria	Brazil	Czech Republic	Egypt	England	Estonia	Finland

France	Greece	Guatemala	Holland	Iran	Namibia	Nepal	Netherlands	Madagascar

Palestine	Russia	Spain	South Africa	South Korea	Sweden	Turkey	Ukraine	United States

It began with the following assignment of tasks:

How can one get to know each other in the virtual area?
How can one transfer the feelings and social warmness of a real meeting into the Internet?
How can one build up groups, which work on same aims, work together with enjoyment and persuasion in the team?

At first there was the idea to create together with the partners a virtual advent calendar.
Then it became a movement - an action, as probably nobody imagined before.
Now after one month process we draw the balance:

People from more than 45 different nations visited this advent calendar.
More than 2.100 unique visitors (7,3 pages/visits).

From the beginning cheerful but also thoughtful days attended our way.
As Advent should be, joyful expectation what comes and pensively in reference what currently happens.
The video you saw above was arranged by our friend Wafa from Palestine. It shows Bethlehem through the children eyes – Bethlehem 2000 years ago and today. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christi -
we are happy about that and everybody gets presents from beloved people.
But like in former times and today children die in senseless wars, used as a ball of politics.
The aim of this video is to think about different situations around the world and
raise awareness of the sense of Christmas

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I would like to thank Jim Miller and Peter Sereinigg for the great
support of my diploma thesis. Without you I wouldn´t be able to realise this project.


Jim Miller	Peter Sereinigg

I also would like to thank the class 07 at the FH-JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences
in Austria for their time. They applied such an effort for this project.

Also the class 07 would like to thank their partners for the excellent teamwork.

Thank you all for what you have done for me.
Hard times are turned into times of pride.
What you did for me will glow in my memory
and reviving pleasant feelings every time I think about it.

Daniela Rappitsch
(7th semester student of the FH JOANNEUM, HMT)

This virtual campfire advent calendar is created in cooperation with 27 nations.
For more information please click here.