Christmas in Italy
Christmas decorations went up this week around town. I enjoy Italian public Christmas decorations – they’re simple and to-the-point. In Verduno they put a big Christmas tree in the middle of the piazza and decorate it with plain white lights. There’s an electric light sign that says “Buone Feste” (happy holidays) at the main town entrance, and big bulb white light fringe scattered from one side of the street to the other at rooftop level. Festive, but not overdone.
Here at the Crane/Badellino household, we haven’t quite gotten around to decorating for Christmas yet, but I did move the Halloween pumpkins from the front of the house to the back of the house tonight. So we’re making progress.
Last year during after-Christmas-sales I bought the kind of Christmas cards that you have to put a picture in. I was inspired at the moment. But I’ve decided I find photo Christmas cards kind of arrogant, so I’m trying to decide what to do with them… I’ve never seriously sent Christmas cards before, this was to be the first year. Maybe I’ll cut out pictures of random people from magazines and use those instead of a picture of me. Yeah.
I’ve been trying to convince Luca that we NEED to get a Christmas tree. Last week at the supermarket they had trees a little taller than me bound up in netting so that you couldn’t exactly tell if they were Charlie Brown trees or not. But they were only €10! So I picked one out and put it in our shopping cart. And in the meantime, about half of the needles on the damn tree fell off on me. Needless to say, I put that sucker back in a snap. (And am still finding pine needles in my pockets!) So I’ve been scowering the streets for random large branches that may have broken off of pine trees in attempt to bring holiday cheer into the house. Wish me luck…
I have an idea for your cards… remember the stationery you used to make out of books? Try to find an old children’s christmas book and mount the pictures from the book in there!
Personally, I think christmas trees are much over rated. I’m all for putting a bunch of fir tree branches in a nice vase with a few red berry sprays. If I could only get away with it!
Good idea, Carrie! I haven’t made book stationary in forever. (okay, well, it’s been at least a couple of years). I need to go used book hunting now.
Luca totally agrees with you on the Christmas trees Mom, and actually that’s pretty much what I ended up doing this year. I had some pinkish red branches that I harvested for our Valentine’s Day party last year still sitting in the vase and so I decorated those with some ornaments and ribbons. Then I put all the presents I’ve wrapped so far underneath to complete the effect. So far it’s working pretty well. Though it doesn’t provide the same air of festivity that a real Christmas tree does. Maybe if I add some lights…
Oak, being Jewish and all, is none too thrilled about Christmas trees either. However, I have somehow convinced him to deal with the fake one I got at Dollar General a few years ago for like $25. This year he even got it out of the attic and set it up for me! Hoo haa. Do they not sell little fake trees there? I realize the fake trees are blasphemy for most people but a ) it is a money-saver and the lights are on it already and b) I am not allergic to it. So bwhahaha! Maybe someday I’ll upgrade to a Martha Stewart one from K-mart. LOL.
Fake trees are awesome! My boyfriend, Jeremy, and I got one last year. It’s all set up – no getting tangled in lights and littering the floor with pine needles. Woop woop! The only problem is now he wants a taller fake tree. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of buying a fake tree in the first place? It’s a one-time item. I’ve never heard of someone buying a new fake tree every year, have you? 🙂