 It's just a Christmas tree
You may or may not love Christmas. Whether you do or you don't the odds are that you will put up a tree indoors at Christmas, a Christmas tree. These have come a long way since Queen Victoria of England; in the19th Century popularized the Christmas tree. She was persuaded by her beloved husband German Prince Albert. The celebratory trees do however date back to a time long before this Queen. In ancient times people had a different relationship with trees and foliage. Plants and the like often had an almost religious feel. Before the birth of Christianity people believed they could ward of evil spirits, or at least some people believed that they could. Following the lead of Queen Victoria of England the West adopted the practice of decorating a tree and placing one in their homes. That practice has continued in the UK during wars, good and bad times, and changing fashions; the “tree", however, has experienced some changes along the years. Real or artificial This can be one of the most important factors in choosing your tree. There are pros and cons to both. An artificial tree may seem better value for money, as it will last for years. It does not drop needles and does not have to be transported home each year. These days you can buy artificial trees that look real. You may say why not then buy real in the first place, but read on. Artificial trees come in many shapes and sizes. There are half trees which can be attached to walls. This is very useful where space is at a premium. There are many colours also. Real trees have in their favour tradition, a specific scent, memories and eye appeal for some. A real tree does not have to drop needles from the day it is put up to the day it is taken down. On the contrary you can buy real trees these days which are grown so that the needles will not shed easily. It is also down to how you treat the tree in your home. It is after all a living thing and will need some specific TLC, tender loving care. For example if you place a Christmas tree next to a radiator in your home it will not fare well. Simple. Real Trees can pose a problem after Christmas. You could buy one that is suitable to plant in your garden after the festivities end. Alternatively you could chop it up using the wood to burn and the foliage for garden compost. Although many trees are planted with Christmas in mind you should consider the environmental implications of buying a real Christmas tree. More choice from artificial If you decide on an artificial tree you will find a huge choice on offer. First and foremost consider the colour of the tree. Personally green trees speak Christmas but the choice is yours. Many people these days purchase a tree to fit in with the style of their home. They then dress the tree accordingly with specific themes or colours. Black trees are also popular. They are not too dissimilar to trees really. They may look to you like a dead tree but they will often fit into a modern home better than a traditional Christmas tree. White trees have been around for many years. They usually look very artificial. You could choose one instead that was basically green but already dressed with fake snow. These trees look more white than green in some cases. If you want to let your imagination fly go for purple, bright pink or orange. A word of caution here though. If you are buying a fake tree as it is more value for money stick with traditional green. If you do not you may find that you are stuck with a bright pink tree which you hate a couple of Christmases down the road. When you buy an artificial tree always buy from a reputable retailer. Check the label to ensure that it meets your country's safety standards. You do not want to bring a fire hazard into your home do you? Remember to take into account the cost of decorating the tree. Bear this in mind as far as costs and colours go. If you buy an orange coloured tree for example you will be limited what you can decorate it with, unless you are a clever designer. Up and ready One advantage with some Christmas trees is that they come as a package. You can purchase a pre-lit tree but you can go much further. You can buy a tree which has fixed decorations on it. Each year you will simply get it out of its box, shake it and erect the tree. Job done after a little fiddling about. Most of us, however much we complain about "doing the tree", love to decorate the Tree though. It brings back memories, allows your artistic side to soar, can be sociable, enables different and personal choices, and so much more. A pre-lit and pre-decorated tree could be too clinical for you. If you have mobility issues however one could be perfect. If you live on your own and struggle with fiddly objects it may be a must. Each year the "lights" need to be tested, would around the tree and so on. A pre lit tree can save you time and a frayed temper. The downside with pre-lit trees can be if the lights no longer work. If your tree has served you faithfully over a few years that may not be a problem. It could be time for a change. Most of the things you need to consider about what type of Christmas tree to buy boil down to personal choice, safety and money. Our Choice In our increasingly lengthy marriage we have had at least one Christmas tree in our home each year, except for perhaps one year. When we were newly-weds we would buy a huge real tree. With no car we would carry it home between us. By the time we arrived home the tree had less needles than earlier and we were covered in them. Days later we would find odd ones in our hair. Occasionally tempers heated up but on the whole it was fun. It was also not easy. For many years we have had artificial trees. After a rather poor looking one we bought a decent real looking tree which served us well for years. Last year we opted to update and went for a traditional looking pre-lit tree. My heart occasionally toys with the idea of a real tree but my brain says no. This year with our latest, fast and furious rescue dog Tinka a real tree does not make sense. Who knows, next year could be different. The image here is off our tree last year. For once there was snow on the ground outside. That was a little before Christmas though. As a final thought I have wonderful memories of our childhood Christmas tree. At the time it was, now how do you say it these days, Awesome. When we removed it many years later it was a pathetic post war effort. It was all of two feet tall, if that. It was spindly with little foliage. It was in reality dismal. However once Mum got to work on it the magic begun. Remember Christmas magic is about more than biggest and best. I can still see that childhood tree in my mind's eye and for me it will always remain, amazing.
0 Comments
 The changing face of Christmas
Christmas has changed down the years. This has been due to many things, including technological advances but Father Christmas is still a magical constant, isn't he? Christmas remains a magical time of year for children. For those of the Christian faith it is a time to come together and celebrate the birth of Jesus. Families still tend to use the time to reinforce relationships and of course giving gifts, for some, is the best bit of Christmas. Christmas has changed down the years though and never so much as in the 21st Century. Has Santa been able to keep up with modern advances? Of course he has, what a question. The Internet Computers and the spread of the Internet has probably single-handedly changed so much of our lives and Christmas. People are less inclined to shop on the actual High Street anymore but rather virtually, online. Christmas Cards look set to die a death with many people these days preferring to make a donation to a charity instead or send an electronic card. However if you do send and receive traditional Christmas cards they are still fun. Yes they can be costly to post, dust gathering and a pain to display but once they are in situ they add to the Christmas feel of your home. Then there is Santa Santa Claus, Father Christmas or plain old Santa, call the big guy what you will has changed little down the years. That is his magic. The elves who work hard alongside Santa at the North Pole have been able to utilise modern advances though which means they can make more gifts than ever before. This has proved useful with an ever increasing population in the modern World. In the 20th Century there were destructive World Wars. With resources at a premium the gifts were less awesome but one way or another Santa always got through. Wars are taking hold in some places again but Santa's use of modern technology means he can cope much better than in the past. Santa's sleigh has also been upgraded to help Rudolph and the other reindeer get Santa around the globe faster. There are few if any undiscovered countries these days and the same goes for those that used to be uninhabited. This would have put an impossible burden on Santa and the reindeer. Thank the Lord for modern technology. Challenges for Father Christmas In the 20th and 2ist Century Father Christmas has faced many challenges, not least a lack of belief in the Big Guy. Added to this people have built homes with no chimneys and fireplaces, have blocked off old chimneys and more. Modern day security systems have been a further challenge for St Nicholas, that is Santa. Thankfully he has an excellent team of experts that help him all the way. Just as technology has moved on so has the magic of Christmas. It has had to. Failing to keep pace was simply not an option. As far as believing in Santa goes that is down to us. There is not much he can do. He never could. Perhaps in the past believing was easier but it is still possible. Just hold the spirit of Christmas in your heart as you search the night sky for a glimpse of his sleigh. I bet if you look hard enough and listen intently you will see a brief flash of red as the gift giving team race across the sky. If he proves too fast these days you will surely still hear a tinkle of sleigh bells. Track Santa's journey One useful tool that could help you catch a glimpse of Santa, Rudolph, Blitzen and the other reindeer is the NORAD Santa tracking System. It is not active until Christmas Eve. The timescale for this event varies according to where you are in the World. Santa has a job keeping up with time differences but he usually manages to. Again it is modern technology with sophisticated sensitive world clocks that help him on his travels. The NORAD site is already preparing for Christmas Eve, fine tuning its tracking systems and more. If you want to see how it's going check here. Christmas Treats One of the things that has had a negative impact on some traditional Christmas foods is their all year round availability. These days you can buy mince pies or have a "Christmas dinner" at almost any time of year. As a child in the fifties certain food stuffs were not readily available. This meant that some foods were only available for a short time. That made them extra special. In the past more of the Christmas fayre was made at home at not store bought. Home made Christmas pudding, sweets cakes and Christmas biscuits all added to that special feel. With modern appliances that help cooking and baking time in the kitchen it has never been so easy to get stuck in and make a wide range of Christmas foods. Yes there is a little effort involved but that superior taste will be well worth it.Yes the face of Christmas has changed, some things for the better and some not. Father Christmas remains an eternal part of our celebrations though and long may he do so. Season's Greetings folks.  Time is a precious commodity
21st Century living for most people is hectic. Time is one of our most precious assets. As such we guard our free time, however brief, from unnecessary intrusions. An older person however may have too much time on their hands. A depressed person may have all the time in the World to sit and think but that may not be the best option. Time is funny. Too much free time can in some cases be as bad as not having enough time. This is not governed by age, money or your sex. Loneliness at Christmas is terrible. Some people can feel lonely in a room full of people but there will be others who will not see or speak to a soul over the Holiday Season. For them the gift of your time is as valuable as giving them a million dollars. Family, friends and the Community If you look no further than your immediate neighborhood there are bound to be people who could use some of your time. An elderly person with no immediate family may love a little of your time. It could be used to complete a few chores that have become impossible tasks to the person or just to have a friendly chat. There could be a sick neighbour who has a dog that needs walking, shopping to collect, a Christmas tree to put up, Christmas Cards to write and post or any number of minor jobs which have become insurmountable tasks. Local charities Local charities would probably love a little of your time, especially at Christmas. The people who work at services such as dog rescue centres are often volunteers. The animals will need feeding, walking, cleaning up after, grooming and more whether it is Christmas or not. Giving a little of your time will ease the burden on the volunteers. It will allow them a little extra time to spend with their loved ones over the Holiday Season. Hospitals and residential homes may equally value a little of your time. It may be helping with chores or visiting patients and residents who have no family who can visit. Homeless shelters are sadly on the increase, especially during the Christmas period. An extra pair of helping hands will be welcomed here for sure. In the UK hospitals have a volunteer service which operates throughout the year. A few extra helping hands at Christmas are very useful. Check out what you can or cannot do in good time before Christmas. Even volunteers will need to have CRB, police checks, to make sure that they are suitable to work with chldren or vulnerable adults. Make it official Get busy on your computer and create a Christmas gift certificate of time. Include who you are giving the gift to, what it is for and how much time you are giving. This gift could be perfect for grandparents or parents. It could be a promise of a garden make-over in Spring, the re-decoration of a room, a weekly allotted time for shopping ot whatever you know will be important to the recipient. Above all use your imagination and cater a gift of time to suit the person or persons on the receiving end. If money is tight time may be all that you have to give but it could be the best gift received this Christmas. Volunteering: Become a hospital volunteer  No matter what time of year it is Christmas is never far away. Each year the cost of Christmas increases and yet for many people their income will not have done so. Having said that, experiencing a great Christmas is about more than just spending too much money.
The secret of enjoying a great Christmas is about family, friends, celebrating the birth of Christ, and of course it is about children. Gift giving is an integral part of Christmas celebrations around the world but can be a worry. We all love to see the recipient's eyes light up when they open their Christmas gift but spreading such pleasure can be costly. However in reality it does not have to cost the earth. It’s never too early to buy Christmas gifts Forward planning is essential if money is in short supply; even if it is not why spend more money on Christmas gifts than is necessary? Shopping for Christmas gifts throughout the year means that you can take advantage of sale prices and special deals. Free gifts Believe it or not there are some suitable gift items that are free or almost free. Consider:
Do it yourself gifts. Do it yourself gifts are those that you have made or assembled yourself. For example, how about:
How to buy cheap Christmas gifts If you have started shopping for Christmas gifts early in the year you should be able to take full advantage of the January sales. Make sure however that you do not buy items that will be unpopular or unfashionable by the next Christmas.
You will need Imagination. Forward planning. A list of those you want to buy a gift for. Some current knowledge of the recipient such as age, hobbies and interests. To always have some cash set aside for Christmas gift shopping. Tips & Warnings Shop early for Christmas gifts. Remember the best bargains are soon snapped up. Research on-line for special offers. Use cash-back websites when possible. Keep your eyes open for potential Christmas gifts and ideas. Avoid using a credit card to purchase the gifts. In the long run using such a card will make them expensive. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yAM1OIb-aMI |
Archives
January 2019
Categories
All
|
