Christmas/Yule decorations and all that

[Absinthe]

Do you decorate for the holidays? What's your traditions?

For me, it used to be a fake Christmas tree, small enough to fit my coffee table.
This year I decided not to decorate it. Instead, I used a glass bowl with christmass lights inside for Yule decoration. The reason was, I was not it the mood.

Now:

This year (again) I wrote in my gardening column that I absolutely object to the usage of real christmas trees in Greece.

For those of you that come from scarcely populated areas with vast forests, I cannot speak.

But for Greeks, who've suffered the most terrible forest fires and are now witnessing extinction of trees in the greek habitat....I find it despicable, that they would cut so many trees for commercial reasons. :mad:
Christmas should not come with such a high cost for Nature.

So I suggested that if one wants to decorate a real tree, no matter what, they should adopt the tree, i.e. buy a potted tree and keep it for many years.

Moreover, I suggested that Greeks finally learn that there are other plants traditionally associated with Christmas (a fact that's totally unknown here as urban city Greeks are notoriously ignorant to everything related to plants), that they can use as holiday decoratives instead.

Naming just a few:

Christmas cacti

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/852/orizontiads7.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/107/300586342_e8419ea757.jpg

Kalanchoe

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/7363/kentrikobx8.jpg

Poinsettia:

http://www.1stinflowers.com/pics/tf/info/poinsettia_350.jpg

Mistletoe:

http://www.directgardening.com/large/5116_l.jpg

Star of Bethlehem

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3034/2478262118_cb8bcf79b7.jpg

Roses, even!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/332808423_a44067467c.jpg
http://www.feldis.com/Hicksville/TF-WEB88lg.jpg

:)

[Fortis in Arduis]

Decoration is best kept restrained. Some non-flashing decorative lights, and a bit of evergreen will suffice for me.

Fragrant CANDLES are a NECESSITY! :D

You mistakenly put a picture of holly instead of mistletoe.

This is mistletoe:

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/images/wintersolstice/mistletoe-fruits_lg.jpg

[Absinthe]

Aha, sorry, thanks for the correction!

Looking at the photos again, I also believe that the picture I posted for Kalanchoe must actually be a Christmas cactus that hasn't bloomed yet.

This is a kalanchoe:

http://www.rosaflora.com/product_photos/Flowering_Potted/Kalanchoe.jpg

I have 5 of them on my window, and they've proved to be the most resilient plants I've ever had! ;)
Plus, they bloom again and again.

[Loki]

This thread (http://www.theapricity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=599) also discusses Christmas/Yule decorations for those interested.

[Vulpix]

Two artificial Christmas trees: traditional green one in the living room, and a white one :p:


http://www.christmastreemarket.com/v/vspfiles/images/categories/White-Christmas-Tree.jpg

A few Poinsettias:

http://www.giftlebanon.com/catalog/images/poinsettias-lebanon.jpg

They are usually almost lifeless after a couple of weeks :(...


Kosta Boda for the table :):

http://www.crystalclassics.com/kosta/images/snowballvotive.jpg

[Thorum]

Though I am Atheist, I love celebrating Christmas. I was brought up Lutheran and I will always have fond memories of Christmas and decorating!! Off topic: I just see Christmas as a time to remember family and friends. To visit, eat and be merry and be thankful!!

We cut and put up a live tree again this year. Regarding impact on the environment, I believe it is actually much less than using artificial trees made in China, shipped everywhere by boat, train and truck, use of oil to ship and produce plastic, pollution from factories making them, etc. Plastic is not renewable, wood is. Don't get me wrong though, I am a tree freak and plant them all over my property and belong to the Arbor Day Society here in the US. :p

I can only say this since we get our tree from a Christmas Tree farm locally. The farmer's sole use of his big farm is to supply the area with Christmas Trees. That is all he grows. Of course, he replaces what is cut with new trees. I love trees and to gather trees from the wild to simply display for Christmas then throw away is not good!! For those without access to tree farms, yes, artificial is the way to go, no doubt.

We also put up Christmas lights around the roof of our house. Perhaps I will upload a photo of our home..............

Merry Christmas!!

[Thorum]

Alina and Linnea with Santa Klaus last week!!

:p

[Vulpix]

Haha, the one on the left looks terrified :D!


Alina and Linnea with Santa Klaus last week!!

:p

[HawkR]

I don't celebrate christmas anymore, yes, I do give and recieve presants, but this year, I' actually cutting out runes(in wood), and givin' them away to my nearest family members. I will also have a wintersblot between "christmas" and new year eve.

About decorating, I don't do it, I have a "christmas"tree, as I don't see it as a part of the christian religion.

[Jägerstaffel]

I have to agree with Thorum.
I'm not a Christian but Christmas (Yule for me) is my favourite time of the year.

It feels good to celebrate warmth and family in a cold and dark time of the year. I enjoy the pagan elements of it all as well. The idea of bringing evergreen trees inside the house is to remind you of life thriving even in the dead of winter. We usually buy a tree from a Christmas tree farm; and make wreathes from the evergreen trees in our backyard. We drink homemade eggnog and glögg and eat Christmas ham and lutefisk. And on Christmas eve we go to a party at my mother and father's house and see the extended family.

Unfortunately, the weather in my area has been unseasonably warm in December and the celebration can feel unnatural, especially when instead of snow; we get rain and mild temperatures.

God Jul!