Even on Christmas Eve, Heinz Becker's wife Hilde and son Stefan are not granted any peace and quiet, as their head of the family with the Batschkapp and the eternally chattering mouth turns the celebration of love into a less than contemplative horror trip for the whole family. Even the question of whether sausages should be served hot or cold with the potato salad leads to disputes under the Christmas tree - which Heinz can only force into balance with brute force. When the Christmas tree figure remains untraceable, the oven develops volcanic heat and mother Hilde completes the chaos with her unconditional desire for harmony, Heinz is proven right once again when he says: "Christmas is a matter of nerves".