This is our first Christmas here where we've been here the entire season. We were commenting tonight on how different it's been. First and foremost, with the kids being older most of their wants are electronic, and required ordering things weeks in advance instead of shopping. That meant we didn't spend a lot of time running from store to store, so we could actually enjoy the holiday season.
We've been to the Grassington festival, complete with torchlit nativity procession (and I mean real torches, not flashlights or candles!). We've also been to the German Christmas markets in Leeds, and even to an honest-to-God mall - just for the fun of it. Tomorrow we're going to a cookie exchange.
Today we went downtown - it reminded me of Christmas shopping when I was kid. People walking from shop to shop, not parking at a mall. Christmas lights are starting to catch on, so there are quite a few downtown, and more on the houses than last year.
Christmas trees are almost always in the front windows, which looks really nice when you're walking down the streets, and there is always some kind of live music downtown and in front of the bigger stores.
Some quirks to Christmas here. Lights are not the traditional red and green - blue, red and white seem to be the favorites. Also, Christmas trees are athrowback to the sixties - remember aluminum trees? And black is a very popular Christmas tree color.
Holiday shopping hours are not what they are in the states. In some cases, it means they open an hour earlier Monday-Friday, but don't stay open later, or change their weekend hours. Costumes seem to be a big gift item for the kids, and Christmas crackers (poppers) are everywhere. Every cracker has a paper crown, and a small prize.
Unfortunately, Joe can not enjoy most of it atthe moment, as he is very sick... and Julie is also sick. They are, at the moment, fighting over who is sicker. But they're in a weakened state, so the fighting isn't getting very far. So mostly, we want good health for Christmas....with electonics a very close second.
4 comments:
It's funny isn't it how different Christmas is overseas! Here lots of people still have those old aluminum looking Christmas trees (dreadful!) and the Black trees too! Who on Earth would want a black tree??? And the lights dont string end to end like they do back home (oh well...they'll catch up someday!lol)
Here's it's not really dark until around 10pm..so we can only go look at the lights (ONE street in town that bothers) if we get a sitter cos the kids are both asleep by then.
And Christmas dinner....everything is cold..cold turkey..cold ham...barbeque food...sigh. Someday I wanna take the family back home for the entire holiday season. It'll be different without mom (I can't believe last Thanksgiving I called mom and mommom..and this year..no one..hit me really hard)...anyway even without Mom it'll still 'feel' more like Christmas than over here!..Wish Julie and Joe good health from me! Love, Sandy
I so enjoyed this post! What a different perspective. Donna, give both of them double doses of cold medicine and have a silent night ;) Sandy dear, your mother would be the first in the states to have that black Christmas tree! Remember her favorite Christmas ball was the black one. It always had the prominent placement of center of the tree. She always got her way!!!
Christmas in Kansas is bitter cold. The temp is 18 with wind chills near zero. I can handle the cold, sort of, but the wind is killer. We're looking forward to celebrating in Grandmom & Grandpa Phelps new patio home. It is smaller than thier "homestead" but it has a large open floor plan and all agree that the holidays arent' the same if they are not at the folks house.
I talked with a Hannah today. She received my Christmas care package. Instead of bubble wrap, I cushioned the package with tinsel. Steve thought she'd be frustrated by it, but she loved it. She said she shared it with several barracks to decorate. I included battery operated lights that she decorated her bunk with and Christmas balls that change colors, battery operated as well. She is in a very dangerous duty station right now, but she assures me that things have been quiet and have settled down. BEST GREATEST news is that her deployment may have been cut from 15 months to 12 months. Please pray that that comes to be reality.
Aside from that, life is life. Too much to do, too little time, not enough money, but plenty of love. I guess, that will work.
So...What's the oldest child picked out....Yes I mean Rick?
Aunt Eileen...I remember the black ball well! I got a similar one last year...Mom made that ball our favourite too! I get a new Christmas ornament and this year I picked out one with a lady in a purple dress and red hat with feathers in it...in honour of Mom...I think she would've loved it...it reminded me of that poem she's got on her bedroom wall about when i grow old i'll wear purple..you know the one?
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