November 18, 2009

The First Sign.

Christmas is one of the most beautiful celebrations in our modern world. There are little signs here and there, which makes us aware of the upcoming holidays. I am not talking about the commercial hype, although I do love when the stores start to decorate the windows and when the streets are lit by hundreds of Christmas lights.

What I have in mind is more the atmosphere that settles across the cities. The essence of expectation and joy.
The most significant and the first sign to me is very simple. It is the blooming of my Christmas Cactus. Some of you might remember my post last year, when I was trying to identify this beauty in bloom. And again this November, it bursts with purple colour and displays hundreds of delicate flowers.

The Holiday Season is almost here.

31 comments:

MsTypo said...

My mum has a couple of Christmas cacti but i've never seem them flower as beautifully as yours. Seriously. Wow!

Reading Tea Leaves said...

Your Christmas Cactus is beautiful - a much needed splash of colour at this time of year - and I prefer pink flowers at Christmas to the traditional red poinsettias. I look forward to twinkling Christmas lights too, but they have to be white!!

It is so windy here today - I think we may be in for a stormy day too. Keep safe Zuzana.

Jeanne x

Jelica said...

Gorgeous colors! I look forward to the Christmas markets that open around the end of November and run until the Christmas day--they bring a truly festive atmosphere (and very different from the commercial hype and cheesy songs).

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

"Burst into color" is right! This is gorgeous! Makes me want one...C

Nessa said...

Your cactus is gorgeous. You must have a very green thumb.

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Julie Hibbard said...

Gorgeous!! That is BY FAR my most favorite COLOR in the world...pink? purplish?
I agree! LOVE Christmas and the excitement and HOPE that it brings!
JOY to the WORLD...and to YOU, my friend on the other side of the JOYFUL world!

Beverlydru said...

Wow! Stunning. Loved my visit, as always.

Maria said...

A lovely splash of colour in a dark winter....

Sandi McBride said...

Mine isn't blooming yet, but the buds are set and will be blooming by Thanksgiving, I feel sure. I love the way the whole world holds it's breath this time of year, too...the Spirit moves...
Sandi

United Studies said...

Sigh....Christmas in Denmark is my most favorite holiday. I just loved going to all the Christmas bazaars, eating the food and buying little trinkets. I just love how each town decorates. It's all very hyggelig. :-)

Brian Miller said...

i love that feeling of anticipation that this season brings. can almost smell it in the air...

Keith said...

I love Christmas. I'll put up my decorations Thanksgiving weekend. I'm getting ready to get out my Dean Martin Christmas albums.

Unknown said...

You have a lovely sense of Joy about you, Zuzana. What I love most are the faces of children anticipating Santa Claus and of course, the lights on homes.

Anonymous said...

The atmosphere is different now up in the mountains too. Quieter. Clearer. Peaceful. I love this time of year.

Your Christmas Cactus is beautiful! I hope you have a wonderful day, Zuzana!

Zuzu

Claus said...

What a unique sign!!! You are right: we are often aware of the upcoming holidays because of businesses and shops, but there are natural signs that alert us of the near Christmas season. In my case, it would have to be my Christmas flower! Also known, here in Guatemala as "pascua". It's red, green, and typical of the Christmas season. I should write about it!
Thank you for sharing Zuzana. Always the best, and most interesting topics. :-))

Diane said...

Very pretty... and it doesn't jingle, light up, or HoHoHo! I'm cool with it ;)

julochka said...

wow, it's LOADED with blooms! i remember my mom had one too when i was a kid. hers was more reddish tho'. but it also bloomed every year.

i'm looking forward to the lights on the streets too. every little bit helps in these dark and dreary times.

xox,
/j

Stacey J. Warner said...

Wow so beautiful!

much love

sprinkles said...

I love the pinkish purple of those flowers, so beautiful!

Christmas was always my favorite time of the year when I was a little kid. I enjoyed the presents, of course, but mostly I appreciated it because it was the only day out of the year that my whole family made a point to actually be nice to each other.

GYPSYWOMAN said...

oh, how absolutely beautiful - just gorgeous - and reminds me of the many christmas cacti i've had over the years - and i loved your nordic winter post - really beautiful -

Jill from Killeny Glen said...

WOW! Your cactus is beautiful! I have one but have never coaxed it to bloom again!!
LOVELY COLOR!

Hazel Designs said...

I remember how much you love the Christmas season :)

steviewren said...

You're making me want to run to the store and buy a cactus for my window. Isn't it nice now that the color is disappearing from outside your window that it has moved indoors?

Zuzana said...

=Cairo,
thank you very much for your kind words.;) I really do not do much, but watering it once a week.;) xo

=Jeanne,
thank you – it was a gift from a friend and I agree about the colour.;) The storm was pretty bad and even did damage to roofs and trees, but no injuries thankfully.;) xo

=Jelica,
thank you. Yes, I too love the markets and I even like the songs.;) Thank you for stopping by.;) xo

=C,
thank you, hope you can get one this year.;) xo

=Nessa,
thank you, I really do not thinks so though, perhaps sit is just placed correctly.;) xo

=Julie,
thank you my friend for your undying optimism.;) And yes, I think it is actually more pink than purple.;) xo

=Beverlydru,
thank you and I love when you stop by.;) xo

=gaelikaa,
so right you are.;) xo

=Sandi,
yes it is interesting that as your seasons are milder, the flowers and plants behave accordingly, thus flowering later.;) xo

=Jacki,
once again, you got the correct term, hyggelig it surely is.;) xo

=Brian,
yes, it is in the air and I love this time of the year.;)

=Keith,
that is when I decorate my house too and get the tree as well. And that is when I get my Dean Martin Christmas album as well.;))))

=Michael,
always so kind and I agree, children make the holidays absolutely magical.;) xo

=Zuzu,
thank you; I always enjoy when you stop by. And I think I can relate to the atmosphere you talk about, I recall it from the mountains where I was born.;) xo

=Claudia,
your comments always make me smile, thank you for always being so kind. Yes please write about your Christmas flower.;) xo

=Diane,
yes, it sure doesn’t .;) But it would sure be cool if it did.;) xo

=julochka,
yes I can not wait for the lights to come up in the streets too.;)) Hope you survived the storm yesterday, it was a big one.
xo

=Stacey,
thank you so much.;) xo

=sprinkles,
thank you.;) I too loved Christmas when I was a child and I still love it too.;) xoxo

=GYPSYWOMAN,
welcome and thank you for your kind words, glad you enjoyed the posts.;) Please come back again.;) xo

=Jill,
thank you.;) It is one of my favourite blooming plants as well.;) xo

=Hazel,
ah yes, my old friend, here we are again in winter.;) Hopefully we can survive it as well as we did last year.;) Always good to see you.;) xo

=Stevie,
so right you are, the colour has moved inside I like that.;) I hope you can get a cactus too.;) xo

Sumandebray said...

what a pretty bloom ... it looks so fresh and refreshing.. loved it!

Sumandebray said...

what a pretty bloom ... it looks so fresh and refreshing.. loved it!

Jeannette StG said...

Whoo, your Christmas cactus is a beauty!

Zuzana said...

=Sumandebray,
thank you, it gives a feeling of summer in the midst of almost winter.;)

=jeannette,
thank you, I am glad you think so.;) xo

Lynne said...

What a beautiful Christmas cacti you have. I bought a small one earlier this week and the flowers are starting to bloom, nice!

Hilary said...

It's a beauty, alright. They make me think of my late mother in law who gave us one, one year.. the first I'd ever heard of them myself. Too bad I have a black thumb. It didn't last too long, but you've got me thinking that maybe I should get one now.. I do a bit better with plants these days. ;)

Zuzana said...

=Lynne,
thank you, hope your flowers will last through the holidays.;)xo

=Hilary,
thank you dear friend.;)I am sure you have a greener thumb than you think, I honestly do nothing with it but water it once a week.:)xo