The paths of many people cross before Christmas Eve. Each of them has their own special story to tell on this day... On the morning of December 24, the doctor at the children's clinic leaves the hospital with a happy heart. The parents of little Matthias have reconciled with each other. As a farewell gift, the porter gives her a chocolate Santa Claus, which is to be passed on many times that day: at one or two fleeting encounters, as a nice gesture for other people. Fate plays a bit of a servant Ruprecht and distributes his gifts. Two lonely hearts are in a hurry to escape the hustle and bustle of the festive season. An accident brings them together. In exchange for a bottle of champagne to mark the shock, the sweet chocolate man switches to Ilse's divorced husband, who is drawn back into the bosom of the family at the same time every year.

A little boy tries to keep a huge Newfoundland dog in his family's apartment.

Lake Lucerne in 1868: a passionate and forbidden affair flares up between the gifted composer Richard Wagner and the much younger Cosima von Bülow - the aristocrat is already married and the mother of four children. Contrary to all conventions, the two publicly confess their love - and break a social taboo in the process.

Hannes Peters is delighted that he can escape his unloved job as a chef and join the navy. He is overjoyed to be assigned as a hydroacoustician. But then the cook falls ill and Hannes is transferred to the galley. He resists, serves inedible dumplings and oversalted coffee, but it doesn't help! For a while, he has to do his duty as a smutje and finally realizes that everyone in the navy is in the same boat.