Seasonal Disconnect

I just noticed that the mini-marts and Tesco are selling Christmas cards. It seems strange since I rarely hear Christmas even mentioned. (When I told people that Doug and I were considering where to spend Christmas, they would offer a suggestion of a place where we might get the "Christmas feeling." A nice, but futile, try since Christmas to us is snow. Our Christmas in Munich in 1999 was the most Christmas-like ever. At midnight we left a church as church bells throughout the city started ringing and a soft snow was falling. The city looked like a Christmas card.) Ramadham/Hayi Raya (which lasts in one form or other for two months - one month to fast, one to celebrate the end of the fast), Devali(not as long, but since different nationalities mark the date on separate days it seems to stretch out for nearly a week), and Chinese New Years are the major holidays. Each comes with its food and open houses. Recently I had lunch with a man who carries around the dates for Ramadham and Chinese New Years up to 2020.

Anyway I was a bit surprised by my first Christmas tree sighting. This display was in front of the local gift store. Today I read a blog line that started "what is it with the orange Christmas tree?" But got no further into the entry - except to conclude that this year orange may have been added to the Christmas pallete.

Even though Thanksgiving is close at hand in the U.S. The flowers and butterfly picture, taken on the path leading up to my room, shows why the autumn holidays seem far away. Summer just lasts forever.