10955 Hellooooooooooo!!

Ciao Francesca, vi voglio dare il benvenuto caloroso nel nostro forum.

Here in the UK, we have many different styles and types of Christmas decorations - from 'home made' decorations where the style is very colourful and haphazard and all the kids get involved in making the decorations together from different coloured papers, glitter and tinsel - all the way to extremely chic 'designer' schemes that follow the latest fashion.

This year the trend is black, white and silver or cream, brown and gold. I don't like this 'trendy' style at all, I prefer a mixture of everything, picking out the best of all the old decorations that I've kept from many previous years and adding a few new ones. Some of my decorations are more than 50 years old and they are my favourite ones! :smile:

A very warm welcome FrancyFra. Whereabouts in Italy are you from???

Hi FrancyFra and welcome! We hope to hear more from you. As for Christmas decorations I also treasure my old ones and prefer the more traditional style. And don't forget the "presepio"!

I'm from sicily...Do you like it?

Welcome Francesca, your English is very good.

In England some people decorate the outsides of their houses with lots of coloured lights and scenes of the nativity or snowmen and Father Christmas.

Some people put on such a show that they put collection boxes outside and collect money for charity. People who enjoy seeing the lights and decorations make a donation and sometimes this can add up to a lot of money for charity.

I know of one very small village where someone puts up such a fantastic display that it causes traffic to stop and people come from miles around to see it.

I know that in Italy most villages have decorations and lights but I have never seen the same big individual displays like the ones in England.

Inside the house, it usual to have a Christmas tree, decorated with tinsel, coloured baubles and lights. People also decorate their fireplace mantle piece with greenery from outside, like holly and ivy and some people put a festive wreath on their front doors.

My favourite decoration is to have candles burning in the widows.

What are the typical decorations in Sicily?

How cruel you are Nielo - those poor widows - do they glow in the dark? :laughs: :bigergrin: :laughs:

Sorry Francesca, it was a little joke towards Nielo - whereabouts in Sicily do you live? Tell us more about your area and the Christmas traditions there.

hahaha, woops, one of my best ones yet!

[quote=FrancyFra;103542]I'm from sicily...Do you like it?[/quote]

No alas. One of the places in Italy that I yearn to visit. One day.

"Inside the house, it usual to have a Christmas tree, decorated with tinsel, coloured baubles and lights. People also decorate their fireplace mantle piece with greenery from outside, like holly and ivy and some people put a festive wreath on their front doors"

Very passe Nielo. Have a look at IKEA (website) for a start!!!

[quote=Sally Donaldson;103580]"Inside the house, it usual to have a Christmas tree, decorated with tinsel, coloured baubles and lights. People also decorate their fireplace mantle piece with greenery from outside, like holly and ivy and some people put a festive wreath on their front doors"

Very passe Nielo. Have a look at IKEA (website) for a start!!![/quote]

All traditions tend to be passé Sally, but I thought it might be interesting for Francesca to hear about some of the Christmas traditions in England.

Of course if you just buy ‘Christmas’ as a commercial, fashion package, IKEA may well be the place to look.

Personally I don’t like my Christmas to be of the flat pack variety but each to their own.
:winki:

Your condition must be treatable - it really must. :yes:

Also in the U.K. another tradition is to hang up bunches of mistletoe in strategic places, ie. your hallway. Apparently, it is meant to be romantic to be kissed under the mistletoe, just depends who it is I suppose who does the kissing! :winki:

Francesca

Just an aside. Out of curiosity Nielo have you ever been to IKEA???

[quote=Sally Donaldson;103587]Just an aside. Out of curiosity Nielo have you ever been to IKEA???[/quote]

No Sally I have never been to an IKEA and have no desire to visit one in the near future.

Now would you mind awfully if the rest of us could get on with talking about the topic in question.

Back on topic:

I have some exquisite glass baubles, which I bought in GUM in Moscow, they bring back lots of happy memories of Christmas past. But also I have some little crackers made by my children, from old loo rolls and coloured paper, and they always take pride of place on my Christmas tree

Yes please feel free to reminisce.

[quote=Sally Donaldson;103594]Yes please feel free to reminisce.[/quote]

Sally what is the point you are trying to make? Anyone would think you were flaming! Now if you have any useful contribution to make I would be happy to hear it.

I don't know about the rest of you but I prefer this version of flaming which does have a Christmas link [url=http://www.fotosearch.com/DGV026/1575039/]Stock Video of Flaming Christmas Pudding 1575039 - Search Stock Footage, Movies, Videos, Digital Films, Motion Clips - 1575039.gif[/url] to any internet version that may or may not occur on this site. [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_war]Flaming (Internet) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url]

Hi Francyfra and other Italian readers.
The 'flaming' pudding/dessert is the tradtional dolce for the main Christmas meal. It is a very rich steamed/boiled pudding made with dried fruits, sugar, apples, flour, breadcrumbs, spices etc. and just before serving it is usual to pour some brandy or other strong alcohol over the hot pudding and set light to it. It is served with cream, a brandy sauce or custard sauce.

Or perhaps more accurately brandy butter which can also be served with mince pies and very gnummy.

Mince pies today are small covered tarts filled with mincemeat made from dried fruit, candied peel, spices and a little brandy or alcohol. This wasn't always the case, though.

The earliest mention of how to make a mince pie, from circa 1615 mentions, amongst its ingredients, two rabbits, two pigeons, two partridges, a hare, a pheasant, a capon, the livers of all these animals, as well as eggs, pickled mushrooms, dried fruit and spices. The whole thing was made into a huge pie, sometimes weighing as much as 220lb (100kg) and held together with iron clamps. The pastry used was either puft past or short past - the forerunners of modern puff pastry and shortcrust pastry. They tended to be oblong or square and were also called Crib Pies, because they sometimes had a pastry figure representing the baby Jesus placed on the top.

As with most Christmas Fayre they were banned during the rule of Oliver Cromwell and, by the time they re-emerged, had altered their shape and content to become the more familiar pie known now. Over the years they shrank in size and it became a tradition to hand them out to visitors, leading to their alternative name of Wayfarers Pies. It was considered lucky to eat 12 pies in 12 different houses during the 12 days of Christmas.

Here's a recipe for brandy butter. - [url=http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/brandy-butter,970,RC.html]Brandy Butter - recipe cost £1.93 from Delia Online[/url] and one for and for Mince Pies - [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A663626]BBC - h2g2 - Mince Pies[/url]

Ahem - (clears throat in readiness to point out the bleeding obvious) - excuse me - this is the Christmas decoration thread and we really shouldn't take things off topic as we all know how upset Sally gets when that happens.

Mind you, seeing as it's already travelled down the slippery slope and there will be no redemption, I may as well tell you that if you feel like half an hour of fun - then follow the "Wiki" links in Aretinas post to a website that shows how to flame in superb style.

Now, where were we? Ah yes, decorations. Fairy lights - multi coloured and placed all around every window to make the house glitter and twinkle. So passe I know, but a delight for the kids - especially if there is also a plastic Holly wreath on the door that says "Made in Ikea" and a few clove studded oranges in the airing cupboard and a dozen "Extra Special" Christmas crackers from M&S.

All we need now is some spray on snow and everything will be perfect. :bigergrin:

[quote=Sally Donaldson;103594]Yes please feel free to reminisce.[/quote]

Sally, Your constant unprovoked digs just spoil this discussion forum. I left some time ago because of this. I returned today to see if things had changed, but alas no. :no:

Give it a rest and let some of us enjoy this forum for what it is about, at least for the sake of the future of this forum.

C[B][/B]

You forgot big fat Santa climbing outside the window........ Oh, and the inflatable Rudolph with its red nose....
I'm all in favour of following and keeping traditions, but some monstruosities are better forgotten.

[quote=Gala Placidia;103624]You forgot big fat Santa climbing outside the window........ Oh, and the inflatable Rudolph with its red nose....
I'm all in favour of following and keeping traditions, but some monstruosities are better forgotten.[/quote]

When leaving the Uk, I thought I'd seen the last of those, but last year in Italy there were so many hanging from window cills, my children loved counting them when in the car, it's almost as if Dell Boy had had a job lot and sold two or three to each property in each street!!! :smile:

Each year we always have 2 christmas trees for the inside, one large one circa 8' (2.4m) and a smaller one about 3' (1m). The smaller one we let our children decorate how they want. It usually ends up with most of their allocation of decorations being hung on just 3 branches, and their chocolate allocation hidden out of sight at the back.

We decorate the main tree with a combination of shop bought and home made decs. We even have a few that my wife and I made when at school which is always good to show the kids what we could do with a little thought. It;s always good to see the childrens craft work hanging from the tree.

Hi All!

It looks like my rather too subtle attempt to keep the thread on a more amicable, reasonable, etc. line that Francyfra had started has been misunderstood!!. This new poster does not need more experienced forum members taking their thread and running with it..............

Sally, the Christmas Pudding link was nothing to do with a 'food topic' but a different definition of flaming. And, the next post giving a description of a Christmas pudding was for the benefit of forum members who may not be familiar with UK foods and customs.

Now for Christmas decorations - for me its traditional every time Red, Gold and Green. Forty years plus of decorating a tree, always a real tree and as big as the ceiling will allow. And the decorations, some now 40 years old and still going strong. I made the fairy for the top of the tree when my oldest child, (now 34) was 8 months old, other decorations have been made by my children, some bought at school Xmas fairs, some given by my mother - but always some new ones every year! Last year were lucky enough to buy some lovely decorations when on a visit to Venice just before Christmas.

Other must haves for Christmas. fresh holly, evergreen foliage, pine cones, berries etc. which now I am in Italy I get either from my garden or the woods just outside the gates. Last year also found some mistletoe growing in an old apple tree at the end of the garden. It didn't have many berries but that didn't seem to dampen its effect when I took a large bunch of it to our Christmas lunch date.

Christmas is a time of tradition and for every family there is 'their' tradition and these are the memories we carry into our adulthood, to pass on to our own children.

So, back on thread....

I agree, Aretina, the traditional colours of Christmas are red, gold and green. And I like to use year after year some decorations which are very special to me for different reasons. I always buy something new every year to keep on adding to the collection, but always within the same colour scheme. Now, I have seen some stunning Christmas decorations using other colours; however, I do not think I would be happy living with them.

"Sally, the Christmas Pudding link was nothing to do with a 'food topic' but a different definition of flaming. And, the next post giving a description of a Christmas pudding was for the benefit of forum members who may not be familiar with UK foods and customs."

Aretina, I realised you were demonstrating another aspect. However food is an integral part of Christmas so I passed on some more information for those not acquainted with customs here in the UK..

Mannaggia! Dov'e' la mia lanciamissili? :bigergrin:

Santa Rosalia, l'acqua veniva.
C'era una donna, mal'occhio teneva... :winki:

I think the old traditional decorations are best . In our family when I got married I was given one of the decorations from my parents Christmas tree for my first tree. I remember it was a very fragile silver glass robin with a metal clip to fix it to the tree When my own children left home they each chose one from our tree. Since our grandson was born we have bought him a decoration for his family tree every year . He loves putting the new one on to the tree I also love the candle in the window at night but hate the electric ones but I suppose they are safer.

[quote=Sally Donaldson;103654]"Sally, the Christmas Pudding link was nothing to do with a 'food topic' but a different definition of flaming. And, the next post giving a description of a Christmas pudding was for the benefit of forum members who may not be familiar with UK foods and customs."

Aretina, I realised you were demonstrating another aspect. However food is an integral part of Christmas so I passed on some more information for those not acquainted with customs here in the UK..[/quote]

My apologies if this is slightly 'off topic' but I need to say it...

Sally,
[I][U]Please[/U][/I] can you learn how to use the 'Quote button' when replying to posts, [U]or[/U] if you only want to select a [I]specific[/I] phrase in a post (but beware not to take something out of context), just select the tool between the 'image' and the 'hash' button on the toolbar here that looks like this: [IMG]http://www.matrikon.com/images/icons/quote_icon.jpg[/IMG] and cut and paste what you want between the [quote ] [/quote ] code provided.

I only ask because so often I get some way into reading your posts only to find that I am reading quotes from others and your, short comment or a link, is tagged on the end. Alas, just putting inverted comma's around a few words does not make it a 'quote' on a forum, and serves to confuse rather than clarify!
Thanks Sal!.

[quote=noelle;103666]I think the old traditional decorations are best . In our family when I got married I was given one of the decorations from my parents Christmas tree for my first tree. I remember it was a very fragile silver glass robin with a metal clip to fix it to the tree When my own children left home they each chose one from our tree. Since our grandson was born we have bought him a decoration for his family tree every year . He loves putting the new one on to the tree I also love the candle in the window at night but hate the electric ones but I suppose they are safer.[/quote]

I remember my parents had clip on candle holders and real candles on the tree. I suppose it was dangerous but the tree only went up on Christmas eve so was not stood, lit for any length of time.

The new fairy lights are much improved, I have spent many a Christmas eve going through all the little bulbs to find the one that was either not screwed in tight enough or blown. I always made sure we had some spares just in case.

[quote=Nielo;103670]I remember my parents had clip on candle holders and real candles on the tree. I suppose it was dangerous ....-[quote]

Apropos the health and safety aspect of this, there is a wonderful song, words by Ira Gershwin and music by Kurt Weill, called The Saga of Jenny.

The first verse sings:

"Jenny made her mind up when she was three
She herself was going to trim the Christmas Tree
Christmas Eve she lit the candles threw the tapers away
Jenny was an orphan on Christmas Day"

The rest of the song gets better - the best version is by Lotte Lenya, but it isn't on youtube. There is a version here (but I haven't posted it as a proper link because IMO it isn't good enough! Delete the space after www. if you want it.) [URL]http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=_p6XJuOqguI[/URL]

It's a conspiracy - a bloody conspiracy I tell you! :laughs:

[quote=FrancyFra;103020]Hi everyone,
I'm Francesca. I'm an italian girl.I always lived here.
I'm 22 years old, I have a son,and I'm very happy.:laugh:
I have never been in the UK, but I'd like to go there.
I hope that my English is acceptable!!!!(I've studied English for 3 years, and I think it is not enough)
I've already bought many Christmas decorations for my house.
I've plenty of ideas...too much!!:confused:
How do you prepare your decorations?
I would like to create a warm and elegant atmosphere !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please, help me.:wubclub:[/quote]

Francesca, I’m sorry that this thread turned out to have a less than warm or elegant atmosphere.

Back to your original question; one way of creating an atmosphere that is warm and elegant is to use the sense of smell. In the UK some people make mulled wine at Christmas. The smell of the wine and spices has become so strongly associated with Christmas that you can now buy scented candles to try and recreate the atmosphere.

Some people also scent their houses with oranges studded with cloves, which creates a very evocative smell and can be used as decorations as well.

Here is a recipe for mulled wine that you might like to try.

Christmas Mulled Wine

2 bottles of red wine (you don't have to buy expensive wine)
2 ounces of brandy
4 cinnamon sticks
A handful of cloves
A dash of nutmeg
2 lemons
2 oranges
¼ cup sugar
Wash and cut the lemons and oranges into slices, leaving the peel on.
Place the wine in a large pan and slowly simmer. Do not bring to a boil.
Add the lemons, oranges, brandy, spices and sugar. Leave to simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Add cinnamon sticks and simmer for a few minutes more.
Serve warm in mugs or glasses.

I hope you like it:smile: