Christmas Through the Eyes of a Donation  A Christmas Tree Full of Children's Wishes

Fulfilling the wishes of children whose families have hardly any money for gifts: that‘s the purpose of the donation tree in the municipality of Haar. At Christmas time, the time of giving, not only does it make the recipients happy, but also the givers. Sina Bahr was there.

It’s only the middle of November when a fir tree is erected and festively decorated in the town hall of Haar, a municipality in the district of Munich. Is that too early for a Christmas tree? Not here. You see, alongside the baubles and fairy lights, there are red, rolled-up pieces of paper hanging on this tree, upon which gift wishes from children are written. These wishes are plucked from the tree by citizens of the municipality of Haar, and then fulfilled. “The purpose is to bring joy at Christmas to children whose families do not have much money to spend,” explains Claudia Bitzer, head of the Office for Public Safety and Order, who is jointly responsible for the project. The donation tree has been a tradition in the municipality of Haar since 2018. In most cases, all the wish lists are taken after just a few days.

The donation tree in Haar: doing good at Christmas time

That's why Anke Sitter heads there particularly early this year. She enters the town hall foyer on the very first day of the campaign and is lucky: the tree is still full of paper rolls. The neighbourhood support group for senior citizens is organising a similar campaign, she says. She takes part in it every year. “I want to do both, because I think the elderly deserve a nice gift for Christmas as well as children.” Haar is not the only place where people want to do something good at Christmas. According to the market research institute GfK, the number of money donations in Germany is never as high as it is in December. Donations of money are popular for a reason: a bank transfer is quick and easy, and the amount can be used flexibly by the recipients. But donations in kind also have their advantages, as a specific need is fulfilled here – in the case of the donation tree: a child’s wish. This also makes donors feel more involved. “It's just a nice feeling,” says Sitter.

Claudia Bitzer explains how the children's wishes get to the municipality. The social welfare office writes to families within the Haar community who receive social benefits and are therefore entitled to participate in the campaign. Their children can fill out a wish list and hand it in at the town hall. “180 families were contacted, that's about 360 eligible children,” says Bitzer. Almost 200 pieces of paper were returned.

Children's wishes of all kinds

Anke Sitter is now allowed to open one of these pieces of paper – and learns not only the gift request, but also the child‘s age and gender. “How lovely, a girl!” she says happily. Since she has four sons herself, she secretly hoped to be able to give a girl a gift this year. The eleven-year-old's wish: three books from the manga series “Demon Slayer”. Probably the most common wish, reveals a town hall employee, is toys. “For the older children, make-up is often on the list, for very small babies even things like nappies.” Wishes are checked to make sure they meet the specifications. The gift can cost up to 30 euros, says Bitzer. Gift vouchers and inappropriate requests, such as violent video games, are not allowed.

The manga books from Anke Sitter's wish list are no problem. In fact, Sitter finds a request for books particularly delightful. The thing is, she can get the gift directly from the bookshop in Haar. Local businesses, she says, need to be supported. She has lived in the community since 2006 and is a "Haar resident through and through". When she enters the small bookstore, she greets the employees with a broad smile. And she‘s even happier once she’s holding the three books in her hands shortly afterwards. She already knows exactly how she will wrap the gift. “I'm going to buy pretty pink Christmas paper and put some candy canes and a sprig of fir on it.”

"I would like to give the gift of joy"

Sitter will not see how the girl reacts to her gift. Because only the families are invited to the town hall foyer for the gift-giving. "An afternoon in December, it's dark, the lights on the Christmas tree are on, music is playing and then there are over a hundred presents, beautifully wrapped – that's really something," says Bitzer. She tells of "children’s shining eyes" and that some children even bring sweets or handmade cards as a thank you. Many families typically then stay in the town hall for a while, chatting for the rest of the afternoon.

The fact that Anke Sitter can't be there doesn't bother her. She has only one concern: “I would like to give the gift of joy.” She can imagine how great the disappointment is when children don't get what they want at Christmas, while they constantly see large stacks of gifts at friends' houses and on TV. “As I see it, contributing towards the fulfilment of these children's dearest wishes,” says Sitter, “is the most wonderful thing anyone can do.”

December 2024