The holiday decorations are up and carols are starting to play non-stop at the malls. Christmas parades with the jolly old elf Santa himself have started in different cities all around the world. The cheesy photo booth is probably operating a regular schedule by now, so you can get your photos with Santa. The holiday concerts and parties have sent the invitations and we may have even added a few holiday pounds by now. Looks like the holidays are in full swing, even here in China.
In Shanghai we don’t usually see the Christmas decorations until about 1 month before December 25th. Just enough time to enjoy and not get tired of the carols and blinking lights. The Chinese do not celebrate Christmas, but over the past four years here more and more western Christmas decorations have emerged on the scene. This past Monday the local hotel was setting up their beautiful tree made of glass crystals. Friday night was the tree lighting with carols and crowds. Everyone squeezed in for the big moment with cameras, phones and iPads all at the ready waiting for the big moment. I waited until the crowds left to snap a photo of the deserted tree sparkling and shining bright.
Oh Christmas Tree – waiting to be brought to life
Bright dazzling Christmas Tree lights
Even the nutcracker came for the tree lighting
Last spring I started to post on the theme Tourist in Your Town to show things around where I live here in Shanghai, China and back home in Ontario, Canada. Then I asked you to post on something to share from where you live. A quick holiday to another part of the world without all the hassle of travel 😉 It has become a monthly theme and I try to post it the first weekend of each new month. Have you guessed this month’s theme yet? It is HOLIDAYS. With Word Press reaching so many people around the world it would be interesting to see examples of how you and your town celebrate the holidays. Maybe you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanza… whatever the holiday post an example to show holidays where you live. Post the busy mall, tacky decorations, a parade or a town display.
The rules 😉 …
- post a picture of this month’s theme: HOLIDAYS
- link to my post Holidays: Tourist in Your Own Town
- add a link to your post in the comment section below (so others can find you too 😉 )
- add the tag TOURIST IN YOUR OWN TOWN to your post
- use TOURIST IN YOUR OWN TOWN in the title of your post
- have fun clicking examples of the holidays
No hurry… a new theme won’t be posted until January.
Stay tuned….
Canadian Travel Bugs 
That’s an unusal Christmas tree, stylized and beautiful in all its shining light glory!
It is very unique and different indeed. The hotel is very modern and weekly has lovely floral displays. I would expect nothing less 😉 Other hotels have super cheesy displays, or traditional ones… this one still takes the cake.
Thanks for the visit and taking the time to comment.
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What are the chances, I just posted about the holiday decorations from Helsinki without having seen your post: http://freebutfun.wordpress.com/2013/12/01/stockmann-christmas-window-display/. I’ll have to link to your post now!
Oh so cool… I am heading over to take a look right now 🙂
Traditional evergreen trees seem very mundane when compared to this beautiful crystal tree…. yet there is a place for traditional trees too ….
Yes this tree id beautiful, but also a little sci-fi. I prefer the traditional evergreen too with lots of lovely decorations. My favourite part was decorating the tree and putting on all kinds of decorations I collected over the years or had as gifts. This year I’ll have to set up our tacky satin and beaded mini tree for the apartment. 😉
Are you not coming to Canada for Christmas?
No 😦 this year we decided not to since it is probably our last year here in China.
Your family will miss you, especially your nephews! Enjoy your Christmas holiday there…
Yes it will be bitter sweet. Tough to be away for the first time, but nice to see some great sights and travel to somewhere warm.
Aha! I will have to get on to this one. I’ll be on the lookout over the coming week.
Excellent looking forward to seeing how Your Town does the holidays 🙂
Where did November go? I have such a good idea for November’s challenge. (I’ll have to sneek it in late.) The kids will be happy with this months challenge they love going down by “The Falls” to see our Festival of Lights. I’ll take some pics of that!
Awesome! It is the magic of Christmas with all the lights and this year glistening off the snow… so beautiful, Looking forward to it.
Hey still post the sculpture one… I haven’t gotten to your challenge yet either. … report cards. Need I say more? 😉
Reblogged this on Patchwork Ponderings and commented:
CTB has a wonderful monthly challenge!
I like the thought of this idea, that way we all can have a feel of what the holidays are like in different parts of the world.
Thanks Heather. I have been doing this monthly so we can share something cool about where we live and what better theme for December than holidays ??? 😉 Thanks for the visit… hope to see you participate.
So pretty CTB, but sadly another example of the westernizing of China. I wonder how long it will be before they too jump on the Santa bandwagon (or sleigh as the case may be LOL). Happy holidays to you guys!
Some children who attend the western schools are exposed to Santa, so it is creeping in. The mall here hasn’t set up a Santa photo booth, but I am sure it is a matter of time. There was next to nothing Christmas our first year and each year more. I can’t say what other ciities are like and Shanghai is very modern and a lot of expats, so it may be different?
Happy Holidays to you all as well 🙂
In the Falls I’m seeing more ….{sorry distracted by the snow on your site}……of Asian culture. “Chinese” New Year is becoming bigger.
We are all influencing each other 😉
The ‘snow’ started December 1st. It was a special effect last year for the holidays. I am not sure how to turn it off. Is it that annoying?
I like it =D
It is kind of neat… 🙂
This is a beautiful Christmas tree! Historically, Shanghai has been a westernized city.
That’s a great idea! I should find time to to go DT next weekend to shoot photos for this theme 🙂
That would be great Amy. I hope to see some of your great pics. It doesn’t even have to be far… even in your own yard you can show lovely holiday decorations. 🙂
We have a some remarkable Christmas decorations in town, and neighbors are putting out lights 🙂 We’ll be out-of-town for several days, so won’t go through the trouble this year 🙂
Yes we don’t put a lot up here in our apartment in China -although I did a few things the first year. We have a small tree in our classroom and a larger one in the school— lots of lights too. This year we won’t be home for Christmas and will be here a few days over the holidays, so I may. Just too busy with report cards, so I haven’t had the chance just yet.
Beautiful…do I count this as an entry for Pixelventures as well?
Yes I should. We seemed to have been thinking alike and picked the same theme 🙂
I think it’s in the air! 🙂
😉
Very unique Christmas Tree! Just like in Shanghai, we don’t see decorations until December arrives. But when December comes, a plethora of decorations surfaces.
Where are you? Back home Christmas starts to creep in earlier and earlier. As a teacher I always hold off until Dec 1 or later to help keep the kiddies from totally going bananas for as long as possible 😉
In the Philippines. My hometown is Tacloban City, but I’m currently residing here in the capital.
Being a teacher must really be fun. Clever tactic too, btw. ☺
Were you hit by the recent typhoon? Today our school is organising a dress down day (students too) and the money raised is going to an organisation to help with the rebuilding or whatever is needed for relief efforts. I hope you have made out OK. Must have been scary.
Teaching is fun -especailly with this age. You never know what they may say 😉
Yes. But I was still in Maryland when the typhoon hit my city and almost wiped my city off the map. My loved ones are safe, though. Thank God. It’s really heartwarming knowing that various countries all over the world are pitching in to help. Sounds cute. Being a teacher has its perks. 🙂
Glad to hear your family was safe. I have seen photos and I can’t imagine how bad the storm was. Seems crazy from the amount of damage done.
You can get an idea of how severe the storm was from my recent blog post, if you want.
OK thanks I will check it out.
PS I would love to see a photo of Christmas in the Philippines.
I’ll be posting some. Probably a few days before Christmas. You’ll love it. I may not be the best when it comes to photography, but I try to capture the essence. ✴
That will be great looking forward to it. I am sure the photos will be great and even better since we see a glimpse of something we may never see first hand. I love how we can all share the same thing in our own unique ways 🙂
My words exactly. This is the foundation of my blog. 🙂
🙂
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