Lights of the Christmas tree

“The lights of the Christmas tree rose higher and higher, she saw them now as stars in heaven . . .” ~ Hans Christian Andersen

Before the last of the Thanksgiving turkey was repurposed into sandwiches and soup, December holiday decorations went up all over town. In some Big Box stores, pre-lit faux pine trees and glittering ornaments were competing with sexy Halloween costumes, and plastic skeletons well before the first cranberry was jellied.

Any evening, once the sun has set, lights outlining roof eaves flicker on, and inflatable Santas and his tiny reindeer come to life. A parade of cars, inching through neighborhoods, “ooh” and “aah” over the festive displays of red, green and white.

Even in The Land of No Snow, we decorate our outdoor trees. Palms have a unique silhouette that is denied to firs and spruces.