Friends, Crusaders, Bretheren in Christ, lend me your ears!

After having written the semi-traditional christmas-greetings last week, it's time to do the very same with the New-Years-Greetings. I know that it's still quite early in the evening and some of you are living in countries where it's probally even earlier in the day, but I like to get the wishes in (or out?) nice and early and thusly you are going to get this message a bit sooner than mabey expected. Now enough with writting an overly long pretext, let's move on to the core, the meat of the message (eventhough im pretty sure only like a few of you actually read these messages, I still enjoy writting them).

This year has once again been a very mixed bag. On the hand there has been a lot of positive things, on the other hand this year had it's fair share of burdens and less then optimal things (Im speaking both in a general sense and for me personally, but im sure many of you would agree on that statement, in both senses), however it cannot be said that this year wasen't eventful, even up till the very last weeks of this year. Politcally speaking we had protests by the farmers here in germany and a hugh media-campaign concerning a so-called "Secret Meeting", denmark getting a new king, a former former-president Trump who almost got killed, britian getting a new primeminister, riots in england, the continuation of the ukraine-war, Trump being reelected, the german government coalition getting busted, exploding pagers used against the Hisbollah, unrest in georgia, Assad being overpowered in syria, an almost Coup in south korea, the reopening of the renovated Notre-Dame de Paris and a horrible attack in Magdeburg, just to name a few out of a veritable sea of events. Whatever your disposition towards the differnet political events this year brought may be, it sure brought a lot (if you want to contribute some interesting happenings not listed here, be sure to share them in the comments, for I - and im sure several other people - would be quite interested in reading about them).

Anyways lads and lasses, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, now that I've spend some time writting this the evening moved a bit closer towards midnight when fireworks, lifted glasses and general merryment will herald the end of the Year of our Lord 2024 and proclaim the arrival of the Year 2025 AD. Wheter you're celebrating with your family, your friends or alone, I wish each and everyone of you and your loved ones a good moving over into the new year and I hope that it will be a fruitful, healthy and generally good year for all of us. May the Lord bless us and our families and may the year 2025 be a good one! Deus Vult!

- Hohenstein

P.S: If you have pets, be sure to comfort them and don't drink too much :)

Fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

it's once again that special time of the year during which we celebrate the day when - over 2000 years ago - the Holy Virgin Mary gave birth to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by giving thanks, praise and veneration to him. However it is also a time of joy, of merryment and of feasting, whether you're coming together with your loved one or taking in the cold weather outside with a hot bewerage in your cup and preferably a trusty pet in your lap. It is a time of high theological importance and of festivities, in which ever shape or form you decide to engage with it. I hope that despite all the troublesome things which are happening these days - be it a strained political situation, mabey personal struggles you're currently trying to beat or other matters still - you and yours find christmas to be a time of respite and fullfillment still and wish everyone of you a merry and blessed christmas! God save and bless all of you and your loved ones!

- Hohenstein

P.S: Our orthodox bretheren of course celebrate christmas at another date. I wish merry and blessed christmas to you once you come around celebrating it :)

I hereby announce that the Usuper Barnak who apparently gave himself the title of Hochmeister and thus took control over the once estemmed Ordo Teutonicus, has been excommunicated.

Repeated attempts to find a diplomatic solution have been ignored by this Usurper and all messages have been returned unawnsered with the seal still intact. What's more, he started blocking our envoys from entering his seat and thus it has been determined that this Usurper is well aware of the gravity of his actions and fears the consequences.

Thus let it be known that Barnak is excommunicated and the Ordo Teutonicus, once a proud member of our orders, is disbanded to be mabey reformed one day by a more worthy Hochmeister.

Stay safe in these times of Chaos!

Signed and Sealed

Lord Hohenstein, Regent in his Majestys abscance

Brothers and Sisters,

I know im late this time since - at least here in germany - its already well into the evening. Im thus going to keep my message rather short this time (I said that several times in the past, sure, but this time I truly mean it!), but I want to wish everyone of you and your families, a blessed and happy easter-sunday!

CHRISTUS SURREXIT!

- Lord Hohenstein


P.S: I of course want to provide you with a fitting song for this occasion and thus im going to link this rather nice version of the german hymn ''Christ ist erstanden'' (which was also popular with the Teutonic Order': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDQIIXM_oxQ

Greetings Brothers and Sisters,

thematically it doesent of course really fit in here, but I wanted to inform you all that there are currently three dlc's for HOI4 you can download for free. Go ahead and conquer the Holy Land in the 20th Century!

Signed

Lord Hohenstein