Second Advent Tradition.

The Second Sunday in Advent signifies yet another tradition of mine. The tradition of writing Christmas Cards. My friends and my family live spread all over the world and I still relish in writing and receiving handwritten Christmas cards.

The days of December are very short. It feels as if there is barely and daylight at all. As we are approaching the winter solstice, our days has been shortened by more than ten hours since June. If the skies are cloudy, such as today, there is really no daylight to speak off. We are surrounded by twilight at the best, which beckons us to light candles and the fire in fireplace, staying inside.
And so, when all the chores are done, as soon as the early afternoon turns dark and the long evening settles over my neighbourhood, I sit down by the fire with Batcat at my feet. I pour myself a glass of Hot Spicy Wine and put on my favorite Christmas music. As the wind howls in the chimney, it is easy to feel inspired writing Holiday Wishes to those that I miss the most.

"With Every Christmas Card I write..."

Another tradition day in my white house on the hill is on the 2nd of Advent, which is today. As soon as it gets dark, I lit the candles and my fireplace. In North Carolina I would drink some eggnog, but that I cannot purchase here, so I settle for a glass of hot spicy red vine (gløgg) and write Christmas cards while listening to my favorite Christmas music. Ok, I know this sounds so corny, please do not hate me, but I truly enjoy this little tradition of mine. And yes, I am one of those people who still write cards, even in the age of Internet and emails. I personally love receiving cards and I will never stop writing them. I appreciate that someone takes the time to sit down and writes me a few lines, wishing me wonderful holidays. I usually take this opportunity to write to friends and family, who I have not spoken with for a while, letting them know that despite the distance, they are in my thoughts.

The Christmas Tree.

Today is the last Saturday in November and a big tradition day in my little white house on the hill; I get ready for Christmas.
This means getting up early and decorating the whole house while listening to my favorite christmas music with Nat King Cole. My very good friends will come by in the early afternoon and we go and get the Christmas tree and in the evening drink a special Danish Christmas drink called "gløgg", which is a kind of a hot, spicy, red wine.

I love getting the tree. I do not buy one; I actually cut one down myself (with some help). In Denmark, there are large plantations with trees. They grow pine trees or rather coniferous evergreen trees adequate for this use, such as spruces. These trees are also exported to other European countries, such as Germany and ordinary people are allowed to come by the plantations and cut their very own tree. I love this tradition, as a freshly cut tree is alive and lasts long while spreading wonderful scent and of course joy around the house.

The tradition of the Christmas Tree has been in my life as long as I can remember. As a child, while still believing in the magic of the holidays, the tree was not to be seen by us, the children, until the very Christmas Eve. While growing up in Sweden, we adapted the Scandinavian tradition of purchasing a tree in mid December and decorating it together. My first own Christmas tree tradition started while I lived in the US, where I always had a tree for Thanksgiving.
Today I have mixed all the traditions of my childhood, youth and adulthood, combining the east with the west and then creating something that is my very own.
Although being way to old to believe in the enchanted Christmas, the magic of the holiday season is still very evident in my life and I would not have it any other way.