It now has a permanent place in the calendar of celebrities: the “Mon Chéri Barbara Day”. On Wednesday (November 30th), national and international stars came together again at the event in the Haus der Kunst in Munich to ring in the pre-Christmas period. There were not only glittering and glamorous robes to be admired on the red carpet, but the focus was again on a good cause.
This year, Mon Chéri is once again supporting a special project with the “Barbara Day”: the Katarina Witt Foundation. Since 2005, the figure skating legend (56) has been supporting children and young people with physical disabilities, especially in the field of sport. The check for 60,000 euros was handed over as this year’s godmother by “Desperate Housewives” star Teri Hatcher (57).
She traveled to Munich with her daughter Emerson Rose Tenney (25) and was able to enjoy the Christmas spirit in the city before the event: As the Hollywood star explains on stage, both of them visited four Christmas markets and typical German delicacies such as Feuerzangenbowle or Schupfnudeln tried.
Frauke Ludowig (58), who led the evening, is already in the Christmas spirit: “The event heralds the Christmas season for me every year,” she tells the news agency spot on news. “I’ve also decorated at home and made advent calendars for the kids.” The moderator came with her daughter Nele (20), who reveals what the family’s holiday plans look like: “We celebrate every year with grandma and grandpa, with the whole family. We eat, drink and sing karaoke.”
The moderator Annemarie Carpendale (45) is slowly getting excited about the festival: “Because we were abroad until Sunday, we don’t even have an Advent wreath, we only start on the second Advent.” The night after the event, she wants to make an advent calendar for son Mads (4): “He’s already in the Christmas spirit and keeps asking when we’re finally going to bake cookies.” On the holidays, things get quite “traditional” at the Carpendales: “We celebrate in our new house and invite the whole family, there’s raclette and fondue. Every year we resolve to give fewer gifts.”
Sila Sahin (36) also does without many gifts: “We celebrate with the whole family with my husband’s parents and on Boxing Day with his grandmother. We always secret Santa and everyone only gets one gift.”
For Claudia Effenberg (57), it is particularly important this year for the family to get together at Christmas: “Unfortunately, we had several deaths in the family this year, including my mother and stepfather, so I’m just happy this year , when I’m around the people I love and they’re doing well.”
Family is also the focus of singer Anna-Carina Woitschack (30), who is spending the first Christmas since separating from husband Stefan Mross (47) with her parents: “My father will be 80 next year, so you don’t know how many more Christmases together.” When the cherry branch blossoms, which all guests received as a gift to commemorate Saint Barbara that evening, her wish for the New Year should also come true: “That I may continue to go my own way and stay happy and healthy.” It is customary on Barbara Day to give away cherry branches and place them in water. According to legend, if they bloom on Christmas Eve, the recipient is sure to be lucky and happy.
Verena Kerth (41) spends her first Christmas together with friend Marc Terenzi (44) with her mother: “We celebrate there every year. There is always fondue and we play Rummikub.” Playing fun should not be missing in the Schweiger household either, as Dana Schweiger (54) explains: “We celebrate with the whole family in Hamburg, at Til’s house Santa Claus. After that we play board games and go for a lot of walks.”
Also at the event in Munich were Lady Amelia Windsor (27), actress Stephanie Stumph (38), model Franziska Knuppe (47), actors Jo Weil (45) and Jörn Schlönvoigt (36), “Germany’s next top model” winner Alex Mariah Peter (25), Bruce Darnell (65) and many more guests.
