A little late, but really funny...

When we first moved here, I mentioned that over our front door were the letters of the kids first names, along with the year (20 C-M-B - 08). I thought it stood for 2008, Camden, Mia, and Bailey - and thought it was an incredible welcome. I was VERY wrong, and instead it represented the blessing of the 3 kings, and can be seen over almost ALL of the doors in Bavaria. Well here is another funny story.... On January 5th, we came home in the evening to the smell of smoke. We have older neighbors who we immediately were worried about because of the smell (was something burning? Was it electrical? a Candle? who knew?). We rang our other neighbors door (who speaks perfect English) to ask to come smell to make sure we weren't crazy - she came over, and then laughed because it was indeed the smell of smoke, but it was the remaining odor from the insense that was sprayed in our building from the 3 kings. They had come while we were gone. Each year children come through dressed as the 3 kings, collecting pocket change and blessing the houses with insense and then changing the year written over the door. It was probably one of those "had to be there moments", but we laughed so hard. By the time we move back we will have just figured out ALL of the traditions here in Bavaria - there are SOO many!!!