Sternsinger on the way: blessing greetings and donations for children in need!

On January 5, 2025, Mayor Stefanie Lorisch and VG Mayor Hans Peter Böffgen received the Sternsinger in the Gerolstein town hall. The children, disguised as the Three Kings, brought a blessing and performed song lectures during the event. Annette Schlüter, parish officer, and Sonja Schneider accompanied the performances.

Stefanie Lorisch thanked the star singers and praised the children's commitment. She expressed that the city of Gerolstein can use the blessing well. The star singers, which include Felix Reck, Emil Reinarz, Lucia Nägel, Elias Ngel, Vera Luja and Karma Tataru, will move through the community until January 6th. The money collected is used for charitable purposes to support children in need.

background of tradition

Sternsinger are children who, as three kings, pull it disguised from house to house and distribute blessings. Tradition embodies the interpreters from the morning country that found the child of Jesus and was originally introduced by the Catholic Church to celebrate the Three Kings. Sternsinger embody innocence and spread the message of charity and support.

The children collect donations for development projects worldwide, especially for disadvantaged children in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. This tradition combines the fun of the Christmas season with the help of the needy. Stern singers traditionally move around January 6th, the Epiphany. In some regions, the star singing begins after Christmas and lasts until the end of January. The chalk marks that leave them over the doors are a blessing: C, M and B stand for "Christus Mansionem Benedicat", while the numbers indicate the year, such as 20*C+M+B+23 for 2023. This customs differs in the participation of children and the emphasis on parts and compassion and represents an act of community, education and empathy in a materialistic period.