Trees, baubles and more Christmas cheer

We’ve been having mixed weather as Christmas approaches, with some lovely sunny days and some very wet (but still warm) days.  I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to a summertime Christmas, where you can sit outside to have lunch and look up at a Christmas tree.

We put our own tree up yesterday, Saturday.  It is always fun to see the old decorations again after a year away in boxes, some of which are no longer exactly new but mean something.

The little French drummer boy, given to me when I was 10

A penguin made by my father (must be 40 years old?)

Christmas teddy with a Swedish flag

Comes out every year, but neither of us stakes claims to owning it!

Another piece of Christmas from childhood

A more recent star and a table runner from Poland

Still on trees, the pohutukawa tree, with its distinctive red flowers, blooms at the time of year and has become an established part of the New Zealand Christmas tradition. This iconic Kiwi Christmas tree, which often features on Christmas cards, has become an important symbol for New Zealanders at this time of year, both here and abroad.  There are lots of them around, even in the car park of Pak ‘n’ Save supermarket in Petone like this one.

The sun has now come out, so I’m off to enjoy it for a while.  I’ll try and do Cee’s ‘Share Your World’ challenge, but otherwise my next post will be after Christmas, so to all my readers and followers, Merry Christmas!