Around January 6, 300,000 carol singers are out and about across Germany every year. This is a Catholic tradition in which groups of children bring the blessing and the light of peace to the faithful during the Christmas period until January 6. As the Three Wise Men Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar, they bring the blessing "Christus mansionem benedicat - Christ bless this house" to the people with the chalk sign "C+M+B" and collect donations for needy children all over the world. Under the motto "Raise your voice! Star singing for children's rights", this year's campaign focused on the Turkana region in northern Kenya and Colombia. To mark the occasion, Lord Mayor Mike Josef welcomed a group of carol singers to the Kaisersaal on Monday, 6 January.
In his speech, Josef emphasized the importance of the children's commitment. He said: "You are real heroes and heroines for the children of this world! With your crowns, your songs and your commitment, you show how strong children can be when they stand up for something together."
The Lord Mayor also outlined the projects supported by this year's donations. For example, the money will go to children in Turkana. There, for example, the construction of schools or medical care for pregnant women and babies is being supported. The head of the city also drew a parallel with the city of Frankfurt and thanked those involved: "Your values are also our values: openness, tolerance and a big heart for those who need help. That's why I would also like to say thank you today."
Finally, Josef emphasized the important message the carol singers bring: "With your crowns, your robes and, of course, your star, you not only bring the blessing '20*C+M+B+24' to the people, but also a message that is more important than ever: We all have a responsibility for each other."
Together with the director of the Catholic City Church, Michael Thurn, the carol singers sang the songs "Wir kommen daher aus dem Morgenland" and "Stern über Bethlehem" and then presented the Lord Mayor with the blessing and the light of peace.
