Christmas fairy lights

[Pamplemousse]

When I was younger and lived at home, the Christmas tree typically went up around my late mother's birthday, which was the 6th - so usually, the first or maybe second Sunday of December. It then took pride of place in the front room, sometimes in the bay window until a few days after Twelfth Night, so it was up for the date my late father would have celebrated Christmas (he was Ukrainian).

Lights were the old-fashioned moulded glass ones where if one bulb failed, they all went out: a string of twelve. Nowadays if you want to find an original set of those, expect to pay good money.

[Lencoboy]

When I was younger and lived at home, the Christmas tree typically went up around my late mother's birthday, which was the 6th - so usually, the first or maybe second Sunday of December. It then took pride of place in the front room, sometimes in the bay window until a few days after Twelfth Night, so it was up for the date my late father would have celebrated Christmas (he was Ukrainian).

Lights were the old-fashioned moulded glass ones where if one bulb failed, they all went out: a string of twelve. Nowadays if you want to find an original set of those, expect to pay good money.

Yes, it's a case of 'you get what you pay for', PM.

Plus back then most fairy light manufacturers designed their products to a common bulb-type which was interchangeable between most sets, even between different brands, unlike most later manufacturers who seem to have chopped and changed their basic bulb types every couple of years so that a much-loved set originally bought 5-10 years earlier is basically useless once the bulbs fail, as it's usually nigh on impossible to source exact replacements.

Having to replace cheapo stuff every 2-3 years is very much a false economy IMO, but then again, there isn't usually that much of a choice nowadays, as even many of the more historically reputable brands have jumped on the 'cheap and tacky' bandwagon!

[pulisa]

What a beautiful tree, Glassgirl.....

[Catkins]

I know it might seem odd to a lot of people, but I'm really late putting my decorations up. But there is a reason, I'm not a bah-humbug person really. My son was born on Christmas day, so to make a kind of clear separation for him, we would usually have a party or something for him the weekend before Christmas and I wouldn't put decorations up until after then.

He's not so bothered now, bit I didn't want him to feel he was missing out when he was younger. Strangely though I still leave it until quite late to put them up and last year because of being in isolation I only put up our little tree and a stocking for our son. Although he tree does have sparkly lights on 😁

[Lencoboy]

Well the family who (prematurely) put up their epileptic seizure-inducing strobe-like Christmas lights more than a fortnight ago have now installed a teepee-like frame structure on their front lawn, and have decorated it with static clear lights, and looks like a real work of art, but still a shame about the disco strobe-like lighting at high level on the front face of their house, that forms a star motif, with 3 concentric layers of 'strobe'-type lights, rapidly alternating between each layer (out-in, I think).

But instead, when I walk the dog past it in the evenings, I focus instead on the 'teepee' light thingy.

[dorabella]

When I was a child Christmas did not start until 1 December and you didn't see a sign of anything remotely Christmassy until that date in the shops ... made it special and kids looked forward to it. Never gone in for the OTT Christmas light shows that some seem to like to ... in fact I haven't put up a tree or any of the associated fripperies for years.

My dad's childhood Christmas tree (now over 80 years old) still makes a showing at my parents' house ... complete with its original ancient candle brackets and old fashioned painted ornaments. It;s very quaint and has never had a single electric bulb draped around its fragile branches.

[Fishmanpa]

I say whatever gets your rocks off. If you don't like it so be it. No sense in allowing it to bother you

FMP

[Pamplemousse]

I think my sister dropped a hint that she would like to borrow some of our parents' decorations for her tree this year, which I have in storage. They live in a number of those lovely old biscuit tins you used to see that had printed paper pictures pasted onto the tins. If we assume my parents got some when they first got married, they'll be 69 years old this year.

I think there are some clip-on candle holders in there, complete with never-lit candles.

[Lencoboy]

I think my sister dropped a hint that she would like to borrow some of our parents' decorations for her tree this year, which I have in storage. They live in a number of those lovely old biscuit tins you used to see that had printed paper pictures pasted onto the tins. If we assume my parents got some when they first got married, they'll be 69 years old this year.

I think there are some clip-on candle holders in there, complete with never-lit candles.

Seriously I wonder how many Christmas trees caught fire back in the days (and inadvertently started house fires) when candles on them were the norm and before electric fairy lights were developed?

Seems totally unthinkable nowadays with H & S and all that jazz!

[BlueIris]

What are your Christmas plans for this year, Lenco?