Longtime readers of my blog know that my hometown Ludwigsburg has a particularly beautiful Christmas market that usually runs for the full four Advent weeks all the way up to the day before Christmas Eve. Some of you may also remember that I wrote about how last year, all was set for the market, vendors had stocked their stalls with food and everything else they intended to sell, and then the city administration called it off less than 24 hours before the official opening. It caused quite an uproar across town, making everyone somewhat sceptical about this year‘s market, the first since 2019.
Yesterday, O.K. and I took a stroll into town centre. The regular farmer‘s market was taking place amidst the angels, lights, Christmas tree and some of the booths already set up. One of the buildings around the market square is already fully decorated, even though the Christmas market is not starting until the 22nd of November (if there won‘t be another last minute decision against it!).
It was a sunny day and felt odd to see all these Christmas preparations under way. At my flat, I won‘t decorate until the 1st Avent weekend. I like my autumn deco and am going to keep it just a little longer.
People in this area have gone crazy in the last few years and a whole lot of them put up their Christmas trees right after Halloween! I don't understand it. How can holiday decorations be special if you start that early? I think it's absurd. Waiting is part of the fun, I think. Like you, I wait until at least the beginning of Advent before I start to decorate and prepare for Christmas. Plus, we still have Thanksgiving coming up in November.
ReplyDeleteWe do not celebrate Thanksgiving, but there are still enough other things to keep us busy, such as the village band’s annual concert for all the village to prepare, including one entire weekend when the musicians do nothing but practice.
DeleteI fully agree that waiting is part of the fun, and doing one thing at a time to get ready can be as exciting as when we were kids!
I am hosting our Thanksgiving (Nov. 24th) so I have that to plan for now. I will start to decorate for Christmas once we are in December. My brother and his wife have their Christmas village up already. They have a huge collection that takes up their whole living room and it takes a lot of work to get it up and ready. Neighbors can come up to their large front window to view the lit up village they have created. They even have a Facebook page with videos!
ReplyDeleteYour brother and sister-in-law must be huge Christmas fans! Do they go to such lengths with other holidays throughout the year, too?
DeleteHow many will be there at your Thanksgiving party? I hope everyone will bring something to contribute.
The Christmas tree is up in the square here, but not decorated yet. I read in the local paper that they'll be putting up Christmas lights gradually this year rather than turn them all on at once as they usually do (a week before 1st Advent). Sounds much like how I do things at home - a bit more decorations added every week from 1st Advent to Christmas Eve. ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt was in the paper here, too, what they intend to do across town with Christmas lights this year. If I remember correctly, unlike previous years they won‘t keep the lights on all night but only until about an hour after the market closes for the night. Also, they have changed most or all of the lights to LED now, which use less energy.
DeleteI saw my first Christmas tree up and decorated. Of course the stores had their things out before Halloween.😳
ReplyDeleteCertain types of Advent/Christmas sweets and Advent calendars appear on my supermarket's shop shelves as early as September. It does not really bother me; if one wants to send things to loved ones living far away, it is good to start early, and I don't have to buy any of it. But to have decorations up already definitely feels too early for me.
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