Christmas Real Or Fake?

[Former Member]

Since Denmark is one of the world's largest producers of (Nordmann fir) Christmas trees - which we call juletræer - only a real tree will do.

 

and of course we decorate them with small Danish celebration flags http://satwcomic.com/christmas-traditions  and http://satwcomic.com/flag-day-every-day 

 

With all the flag fanatics here in the US, I'm sure there are more than a few trees decorated with the Stars and Stripes. But it's not a national obsession. (Just think of the outrage if the flag-decorated tree were to catch on fire – such traitorous desecration of a 'sacred' item!)

 

31 years ago, my parents were house shopping and their final choice was a rental at the time. We all toured the house and I wondered why their tree had flags on it – Danish or Swedish I think. The poor family got to stay through the holidays before they had to move.

[Former Member]

Mom always buy little chocolate umbrellas, Santas, balls to hang in the tree and around the house. I dont know how but they always seem to disappear

 

Chocolate umbrellas? What is the significance of umbrellas that they be cast in chocolate?

 

Chocolate balls, santas, even bells and 'kisses' make sense to me, but umbrellas? Is it a tribute to a movie or something?

[clochette]

Chocolate umbrellas? What is the significance of umbrellas that they be cast in chocolate?

 

Chocolate balls, santas, even bells and 'kisses' make sense to me, but umbrellas? Is it a tribute to a movie or something?

I never thought of it but no it doesn't have any significance, they're just sold along the santas, balls... (maybe beause we have more rain than snow where I live lol)

 

They're not even christmassy, they look like that

Edited December 8, 2016 by clochette

[Arpeggio]

Fake, I don't like the idea of disposing of a tree every year.

[Timothy M.]

With all the flag fanatics here in the US, I'm sure there are more than a few trees decorated with the Stars and Stripes. But it's not a national obsession.

 

We don't use them as a national symbol in these cases, that's why I called them celebration flags. They are simply decorative and festive, and no one would dream of thinking you nationalistic for having them.

[Sasha Distan]

I never thought of it but no it doesn't have any significance, they're just sold along the santas, balls... (maybe beause we have more rain than snow where I live lol)

 

They're not even christmassy, they look like that

 

but they look like they hang really well on the tree. yummy yummy!

[glitteryantlers]

We have special Hungarian candies for Christmas called szaloncukor, literally parlour candy. It's delicious, when I was a little kid, there were only a few flavors, now we have them in all crazy combinations too. You could unwrap them, eat the candy and arrange the wrapping so that it appeared untouched. When my mom was airing the room, all the empty wrappings where flying

[Puppilull]

 

A classic Swedish tree. This year I gave in and the tree came up a few weeks early and the kids had free rein to decorate. Not sure I can tell that much difference from when I do it...

Edited December 8, 2016 by Puppilull

[Timothy M.]

A classic Swedish tree.

 

 is this a fake tree ? :o how could you?

[Puppilull]

 is this a fake tree ? :o how could you?

I guess you missed my post about hubby being allergic. If we could I'd choose a real one every time, but it is rather harsh to expect him to stay in a hotel for Christmas...

[glitteryantlers]

As you mention it, my mother-in-law is allergic... ;-)

I guess you missed my post about hubby being allergic. If we could I'd choose a real one every time, but it is rather harsh to expect him to stay in a hotel for Christmas...

[Former Member]

I guess you missed my post about hubby being allergic. If we could I'd choose a real one every time, but it is rather harsh to expect him to stay in a hotel for Christmas...

 

Puppilull isn't the one writing the bitter-sweet stories about holiday breakups.

[glitteryantlers]

Did your tradition originate in Germany as our holiday tree tradition in the US did?

 

When I was growing up, the connection to my parents' Protestant beliefs was unclear and fairly tenuous. We did have religious ornaments on the tree including a miniature creche or two and things like angels. But I mostly erased that (unintentionally) when I took over the decorating.  ;-)

 

 

My own decorating is non-religious – as would be expected of an Agnostic!  ;-)

Yes, it's a tradition in the former monarchy. Hubby's grandfather was German and a Protestant, I'm the only agnostic/non-christian/paleochristian in the family.

 

https://jakubmarian.com/christmas-gift-bringers-of-europe/

[Former Member]

https://jakubmarian.com/christmas-gift-bringers-of-europe/

 

Iceland's Jólasveinar (Christmas lads) sounds especially interesting! Maybe I should adopt that tradition. Iceland doesn't get much enough recognition here in California.  ;-)

 

I'm thinking blond or redheaded 18+yo Vikings who need to shed a few layers once they get to the Bay Area where we almost never get snow (except on the very highest peaks). So much nicer in my opinion than an obese, hairy, old man – I'm not into bears.

Edited December 12, 2016 by Former Member

[Timothy M.]

I guess you missed my post about hubby being allergic. If we could I'd choose a real one every time, but it is rather harsh to expect him to stay in a hotel for Christmas...

 

Hmm, well that's an excuse I suppose, but what exactly is he allergic to? The tree itself? Does it mean he can't go walking in the Swedish forests?

[Puppilull]

Hmm, well that's an excuse I suppose, but what exactly is he allergic to? The tree itself? Does it mean he can't go walking in the Swedish forests?

 

Outside is fine (except for during certain times in spring), but indoors it's too much for him. He had a very intense reaction to the tree that ended when we put it on the balcony. 

[Timothy M.]

Outside is fine (except for during certain times in spring), but indoors it's too much for him. He had a very intense reaction to the tree that ended when we put it on the balcony. 

 

that's sad was it a spruce or a fir?

[Puppilull]

A king spruce. But he reacts to several trees indoors. 

 

And yes, it's sad. I miss that smell at Christmas. 

[Timothy M.]

A king spruce. But he reacts to several trees indoors. 

 

And yes, it's sad. I miss that smell at Christmas. 

 

The recommendation in Denmark is to use a (Nordmann) fir, rinse the branches with water and let the tree dry somewhere warm, and only take it inside for Christmas Eve and remove it the next day. Of course, that's expensive - a lot of money for a very short use of a real tree.

[Puppilull]

I don't think that would be acceptable to the kids, having a tree for such a short period. So it's a fake one for us...

[Former Member]

Aditus mentioned having rescued a dog (in reply to my review of RRS ch07) reminds me of my younger brother's dog.

 

As a minister, my father received many gifts from parishioners, many of them food. My mother would try to keep all boxes of chocolate out of reach of the dog, but the dog would always manage to sniff out boxes she'd missed when no one was home. We'd return to find the shredded package and 'other evidence' of the dog's misdeed. And of course the guilty party would be hiding instead of greeting us as usual… 

[Sasha Distan]

Aditus mentioned having rescued a dog (in reply to my review of RRS ch07) reminds me of my younger brother's dog.

 

As a minister, my father received many gifts from parishioners, many of them food. My mother would try to keep all boxes of chocolate out of reach of the dog, but the dog would always manage to sniff out boxes she'd missed when no one was home. We'd return to find the shredded package and 'other evidence' of the dog's misdeed. And of course the guilty party would be hiding instead of greeting us as usual… 

 

how is it that dogs ALWAYS know when they've done something wrong?

[Former Member]

how is it that dogs ALWAYS know when they've done something wrong?

They are better in reading our body language, than we are able to read them, because they can not talk?