This year it’s just not gonna happen… we are not going home for Christmas but for Claudio’s sake, it is also nice to spend the holiday with his family and not leave them stranded like we often do. But I don’t get into the spirit here in Italy despite all the snow around me..
I am nostalgic, I like holidays and following traditions. I miss the things that sometimes you hate when you are there:
– the endless search for the perfect Christmas tree
– being proud of the Christmas lights that your dad struggled to put up all along the roof
– having everything available in big cities, department stores! and Christmas music (haven’t heard it yet in Italy!)
– getting ready for dad’s HUGE Christmas feast
– going out to dinner on Christmas Eve at nice Napa Valley Restaurants
– spending time with family
– driving around looking at other people’s Christmas lights
– seeing old friends
– my stocking!
– nice weather
Instead I feel like in Italy:
– you just put up your fake little tree with generic ornaments that have no meaning
– put a hanging Santa out the window instead of lights
– shopping desperately from boutique store to boutique store…being careful not to touch anything
– a small normal lunch with just the closest family
– Christmas Eve going out with friends, perhaps going to a live nativity scene
– as a newlywed couple our house does not seem ready for xmas…
– looking at the lights that each town hangs above the streets, even they seem scarce this year
– lots of Christmas dinners leading up to Christmas
– Cold grey weather
I am not complaining but in Piemonte, people don’t celebrate Christmas in an extravagant way. Everything is very subdued and though I know Christmas is just a commercial holiday, it has always been my favorite and makes me start missing things from the States. If your going to celebrate Christmas let’s do it well!
Sending you lots of Christmas love from the States! I'll be honest, I was getting pretty dang annoyed that I seemed to be surrounded by nothing but Christmas a week before Thanksgiving. Now we're in December and I'm almost feeling Christmas'ed out because I felt blasted by it so early this year! So I'm also struggling to get into the holiday spirit. Maybe your parents could loan you a few of your favorite ornaments from their tree this year so you can have a little bit of home with you?
true! but did you see my tree!??? haha… i guess we are all not in the spirit then.. or maybe the grass is always greener on the other side! thanks for reading and merry xmas
i have only spent one christmas in greece, about 5 years ago now, and i am hoping i do not have to do it again any time soon. here, also, it is dreary (thanks also to the crazy amount of gray and rainy days here that time of year) and dismal and depressing…they just do not do it like the do in america. it just totally lacks all that happy holiday warmness. i CAN say, however, that easter here is totally worth seeing and a happy and upbeat place to be.