1 Dec 2011

December's finally here!

I smell Christmas in the air! :o)

Well, ok, maybe not really... but I want to! I want to do something to help me start feeling festive, and it's not as easy here in Alicante as it was in Belgium with all the decorations in the streets and the music and most specially the Christmas markets!!! I miss the smells, the sounds, and yes, even the chill in the morning! All signs that Christmas is fast approaching.

The signs can be found here as well, but only in the TV-ads or in the supermarkets. Those have decked out their special holiday sweets, with tables overflowing with various kinds of turrón and polvorones and mazapanes... a sugary heaven! ;o)

Turrón anyone? (read more here)



The poinsettas are also out en masse. Both in the supermarkets, street markets and plant shops... Maybe I should try and keep one alive this year? ;o)


Nochebuena - Flor de Pascua - Poinsetta - Rose de Noël... however you want to call it!

I didn't do anything Christmassy here on the Blog last year. Too busy wrapping up my classes (and playing in the snow) before leaving Belgium to spend the Holidays with my sister in New Zealand. Two years ago (so Christmas 2009) I had a "12 Days of Christmas" series up which was a lot of fun! Then in 2008 I did a series of posts on Christmas traditions that I didn't quite finish (only managed to talk about Spain's Christmas lottery, the Christmas feasts, and New Year's resolutions), so maybe I'll work a bit more on those this year? Dunno yet... I'll think of something!

I've also got to clean up / organise this apartment and pull out the Christmas decorations! And start shopping for gifts! I'm always running late on those...

How do you plan on preparing for Christmas?
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5 comments:

  1. Kim@Snug Harbor1/12/11 23:56

    I haven't even started a thing yet - I am SO behind this year. Tell me what the major differences are between United States and Spain Christmases.

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  2. DJan2/12/11 04:03

    Prepare for Christmas? Doesn't it happen all by itself? :-)

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  3. CrazyCris2/12/11 12:48

    Kim, I'll write something up closer to the holiday! ;o)

    DJan... hahahaha! Yeah, it does happen by itself... but are you ready for it to happen? ;o)

    I've got extra family coming in to town to celebrate with us so preparation is required! :p

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  4. The Beans5/12/11 19:31

    So far, I've enjoyed myself watching all the crazy Christmas commercials that have been airing on TV. The only thing that I have done that is by far "Christmas-y" is to drink eggnog and coquito (Puerto Rican eggnog); with all those ads driving me insane, it was only a matter of time before I started to hit the booze. :P

    On a side note, I always know when December is approaching in Miami! The local supermarkets start selling turron, panetones and cidra since October (!) and flores de Pascua appear around Thanksgiving week. We actually had a flor de pascua plant survive in our garden for nearly 4 years, too! They need lots of shade and some sunlight in order to live.

    -Barb

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  5. CrazyCris6/12/11 21:55

    Barb: I manage to avoid the commercials by avoiding TV other than the news! :p

    You can get turrón in Miami? Better check that it's the real mccoy! Turrón de Alicante y Turrón de Jijona!!! not "tipo" Alicante/Jijona which we used to see in Mexico... that's a fake! :D

    My mom's actually managed to have poinsettas last from one year to the next... for the leaves to go red you need to lock it up in a room without light for some time

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