It's SeptemBER - Merry Christmas!!!

In the Philippines the Christmas spirit starts to reign as soon as the BER month kicks in, September that is. During this month you'd DEFINITELY hear Christmas songs in the radio, malls, coffee places etc. As early as this month TV programs are starting to do their countdowns, hotels are doing their Xmas promos and shops sell out Xmas gift ideas to all the retail addicts in the country.

In my Pinas family, we would normally put out our Christmas tree on the day of my birthday ... November 25, just a month before the Big Day! I actually like this idea coz whenever I have guests coming over at our place for my birthday I dont really have to worry about the ambiance or the look of the house since the Christmas feel is in the air with all the trinkets and deco. Our Christmas decos last until January 6 when we would put down the tree and pack it neatly for the next Christmas. When you talk about shopping for Christmas presents, let's just say that I'm your typical cramming shopper. Though I must say that I organize a list of what to buy for whom way way before, still i find myself doing the buying at the last minute.

When I married Thomas I discovered that in Austria they do not put their Christmas tree not until its the 24th of December. Unlike the plastic Christmas tree we have in Pinas, theirs is always from the forest of Carinthia ... real and freshly scented. The dad of my husband personally searches every year for THAT tree which gains the honor of being in their living room for a couple of days. Normally they would have the tree for only over a week ... this has been the tradition ... and practically speaking, the leaves of the tree actually wilt by this time. They do have stockings hanging in their fire place and would celebrate gift giving on Christmas Day. Thomas' parents have always wanted us to be in Austria every Christmas but due to work, we have yet to experience first hand how traditional Christmas is in Austria. Who knows, maybe this year? Let's see ...

Let me be the first to greet everybody a "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"


photo credit: Malene Thyssen, www.mtfoto.dk/malene/