If you would like to subscribe to "This Week in Germany" :

Thank you for subscribing to The Week in Germany. Please recommend TWIG to anyone you think would enjoy it.

Signing up is free and easy right here:

Germany.info - Newsletters

Given that the Germany.info editorial team has produced more golden nuggets of news as 2011 comes to a close, we decided to bring you an extra edition of TWIG on December 30.

The next issue will appear on January 6. Until then, we wish you "einen Guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr"!

To learn more about this traditional end-of-year German expression steeped in Jewish tradition, check out the Word of the Week in this edition of TWIG.

In 2012 TWIG will continue with the popular "Word of the Week" feature, which was introduced in 2011 as part of the "do Deutsch" campaign sponsored by the Federal Foreign Office to promote the German language in the United States.

A few other new features are also in the works. Stay tuned and see if you can spot them in future editions of TWIG. (One hint: travel and thinking in a transatlantic context could take center stage...)

That is the real beauty of the digital age - it has never been easier to be an "armchair traveler." Even if you do not get the chance to visit Germany yourself in 2012, TWIG brings you a slice of German life every single week.

Here's to a peaceful, prosperous and happy New Year for one and all!

Karen Carstens

Editor, The Week in Germany

Webteam Germany.info