This is but a small digression about the word Kristallnacht used twice in this thread and why many in Germany don't use it anymore, except some very old people and Neonazis.

'Reichskristallnacht' means 'imperial crystal night' and was the Nazi slang for the pogroms in 1938 (November 11). 'Crystal' was a mocking allusion to the shattered glass of the Jewish shops and houses. An allusion to shattered glass for a night in which dozens of Jews have been murdered and many more injured and harassed, and synagogues, shops and houses have been burned down is a euphemism of the worst kind. The association with this word was(is): Look how the Jews are raising hell about a bit of shattered glass.

All except the extreme right wing newspapers in Germany a couple of years ago (10 perhaps) have agreed to call it by a much better fitting name: Reichspogromnacht, i.e. 'imperial pogrom night'. It has taken close to 50 years to get rid of this Nazi euphemism but I think it is worth it.

I think it's fine if you keep in English the word you are used to for you don't have the belittling associations we have. But I thought you'd like to know why many of us don't use that word any more.

(As an aside, my personal favourite day for our National Holiday would be November 11. At this date the first German Republic has been proclaimed (1918), the first (large scale) Nazi pogrom against the Jews has been organised (1938), and the revolution in East Germany has seen the people dancing on the Wall (1989). All good and evil in one century of German history is captured in that date.)

Wolfgang