Overview
- At the Bundeskanzleramt reception, Kanzleramtschef Thorsten Frei stood in for Friedrich Merz, who traveled to a Ukraine summit, marking the first missed chancellorial attendance since the event began in 1984.
- Children brought the traditional blessing to city halls in Berlin, Munich and Memmingen, performed songs, and collected donations, including via card readers at Berlin’s Rotes Rathaus.
- The 2026 action runs under the motto “Schule statt Fabrik – Sternsingen gegen Kinderarbeit,” emphasizing schooling over child labor and directing donations chiefly to education projects, including in Bangladesh.
- A local dispute in Mürzzuschlag, Austria, over red, yellow and black makeup drew criticism tied to blackfacing concerns, while a diocesan deacon defended it as symbolic and the Kindermissionswerk advised against equating skin color with origin.
- Fundraising continues nationwide, with one parish group around the Ammersee reporting €14,405.88 collected, after last year’s campaign raised more than €48 million across roughly 7,328 groups.