Give a Gay Games gift this Christmas

For many English speakers, German is not really considered the language of love, but the organisers of the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany have a holiday gift idea that may change that.

Between 31 July and 7 August 2010, 12,000 participants and more than 100,000 spectators from over 70 nations will gather on the Rhine River to compete in and celebrate the eighth Gay Games.

As Christmas approaches, organisers have some suggestions for those searching for a gift for friends or loved ones attending the Games. They’ve also thrown in a mini-German lesson for good measure.

-¢ Registrierungsgutschein: This means gift certificate. By visiting www.games-cologne.com and selecting shop, you can purchase a gift certificate to the value of 25, 50 or 100 euros which can be redeemed by athletes to help pay their Gay Games 2010 registration fees.

-¢ Frühbucherrabatt sichern: This means early bird discount. Register early for the Games and you’ll save money. Encourage your gift recipient to use their Registrierungsgutschein to register by 31 December 2008 and they’ll qualify for a Frühbucherrabatt sichern -” an early bird discount -” of 25 euros, or about $35, off the total bill (the early bird discount is available to everyone, Registrierungsgutschein or not!).

-¢ Danke schön: This, of course, means Thank you very much, which is what you’ll hear from your teammate, friend or loved one when you give them their gift certificate.

It’s not too early to plan for the 2010 Gay Games -” planning in advance will save you money and stress. Take advantage of these gift certificates and the early bird savings and before you know it you’ll be saying Prost (cheers) over a glass of Kölsch (Cologne’s local beer).