10 December 2006

12 Days of Christmas - Day 3

The Tree is Up - which is utterly un-German and a new custom in our house. Since 2005, we put up our tree on the second weekend of Advent:



It's fairly traditionally decorated in red and gold, with limited edition porcellain bells that my best friend gives me one per year as well as a few very select wooden ornaments from my childhood. We don't use candles because I'm dead-scared of torching my house. Instead we have fairy lights plugged into a switchable socket, so that I can switch the tree on and off. Very German in its practicability.

(In case you're wondering now ... the garland from Day 2 is on a timer. Very electricity efficient ... and I can override it with a switch too!)



And then there was baking, lots of baking. I even participated in a Cookie Swap. The evening was fun but I won't do it again because I liked my wares best ;-)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm giggling at your German practicality! It's sooooo true. We always bought our tree the weekend closest to December 15th. Not because it was second Advent, but because it gave us a chance to celebrate my Brithday forst, before Christmas got into full swing. The tree didn't get so dry before Christas that way either. Next week is baking week for us, now that the gifts are taken care of and mailed away.

Carol E. said...

Your Christmas tree is beautiful!