Seasons Greetings from the team to our friends and customers

Today is a mix of many things: nerves, hurry, or not stopping. Surely you understand us: spending hours and hours in the kitchen preparing food that will feed you for the next 5 days, having the perfect house, last-minute shopping, wishing that the children (or pets) do not spoil everything you’ve been working on, and so on. Is it worth it? Spoiler: yes.

All this sacrifice we make on Christmas days is rewarded with family moments celebrated on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. That is the secret of YITH, to feel like that family that sits together on Christmas day to eat despite being thousands of miles away spread across different parts of the world. Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Greece, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela each have a piece of our hearts.

What is the secret to remaining a family even though we don’t see each other or know each other in person? The values of YITH, our team-building efforts, and our sense of fellowship.

In Italy, some members of this team celebrate Christmas differently. They will agree on many things (for example that pizza with pineapple is a crime), but almost everyone will eat different things: fish and Scacciata, all the lasagnas you can imagine (with Pistachio, Scacciata, Roastbeef…), tortellini, etc. The variety and art of Italian food.

In Spain, there is a team that fills another big part of YITH’s heart. But, despite being in the same country, they celebrate Christmas differently. However, most of the food matches beef. In their different variants and alternative side dishes, almost all of them have red meat as the protagonist.

In the United Kingdom, Ronald will celebrate Christmas with his family by eating a delicious turkey fresh from the oven. It looks delicious.

In Argentina, our newest members experience Christmas in a similar way. This part of the team eats nougat, panettone, caramelized peanuts, and a variety of chocolate-covered nuts, even though it is summer the table is full of high-calorie food as if it was winter. As a main dish, they commonly have oven-baked turkey or pork as well as barbecue. Of course: gifts are not to be missed on the 25th at 00:00. In the streets, Christmas lights decorate the busiest places of the city. Basically, it’s a day to be with the family and eat a lot of food (and leftovers for several days).

But despite eating different things and living in different parts of the world, we have a lot in common. This holiday season we all have the same desires: to be happy, spend time with our families, and, above all, to be healthy after this year that has hit everyone. Francesco Leanza has a magnificent wish for this Christmas that makes us reflect on the small details:

Francesco Leanza

Christmas is a magic period; with all its lights, positive feelings, family reunions, table games, hot chocolate and, I hope, a lot of snow. So I look forward to the simple things that this period will surely give us.

To return to normal, to find ourselves again, not to feel in danger. Many of us wish these things for next year, but Ronald and Gaby summarize very well some of the things we have noted on YITH’s wish list for 2022:

Ronald Gijsel

That everyone of our customers is finding some time with their loved ones and remind ourselves that the good times will come back and we will get to party again at a WordCamp or other event.

Gaby Muñoz

I wish that every day we have the energy and motivation to give the best of ourselves and that we are able to face with serenity the difficulties that are not part of our expectations.

And we also have other priorities such as fun and social contact. Marco and Tania’s wishes for this year involve more reunions, especially with other team members that live apart and are only reunited in chat and videoconferences.

Marco Salvo

I want to be able to hug everyone and sing out loud with a beer in my hand.

Tania González

I wish 2022 smiles to my family, to YITH, and to each of the members of this great team. To be able to meet again, embrace each other and get to know each other a little better. I hope that this new year and this magical time will be full of good times, health, happiness, and energy to improve ourselves day by day.

We celebrate Christmas differently, separated like many families this year, but we are a family that fights elbow to elbow every day. We send you a virtual hug and from every heart of YITH, we wish you a Merry Christmas.