Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree…
“Christmas in Egersund”
I put up my Christmas tree last night -thats right, I broke tradition and put it up early this year. Lets just say I needed some early Christmas cheer. My mother puts her’s up the day after Thanksgiving and it stands there until after New Year. I love Christmas, but thats just a little too much Holiday cheer for me. I guarantee we’re the first house in Egersund Norway to have our Juletre (xmas tree) up -oh they’ll decorate, but the tree won’t go up before the 23rd. I’m quite the American-rebel this year.
I know its a bit morbid, but every time I pack away the ornaments I wonder if I’ll be here the following year to unpack them again… A lot can happen between one christmas and the next, right? Go away bad thoughts, it’s Christmas!
For the sake of my marriage, my husband and I bought a pre-lit (lights permanently on) artificial tree, in America and brought it with us home to Norway. It would take all day in the freezing cold for me to find a tree that was good enough and I hated all the needles dropping on my floor. My husband and I had some of our worst fights over stringing lights -hence the pre-lit, fake tree.
One summer while visiting my family in New Jersey we went to a pool store in search of diving masks for my sons and found a Christmas tree clearance sale. Turns out, during the winter the Pool Supply Store, becomes a Winter Holiday Supply Store and all left over trees are sold half price the following summer. Its been ten years since we hauled that tree home and it still smells like chlorine. Ho… Ho… Ho…
Norwegians are very patriotic and love their flag. They fly it for all occasions, but never after dark. If it’s even near dark and we haven’t taken it down, neighbors will start calling to remind us. They even hang paper flags on their Christmas tree’s and that’s one tradition I like to keep. Along side the flags of my adopted country hang all the ornaments of my past. A collection of sentimental reminders. Some from my children, some from places we visited and places we’ve lived.
Have a peek…
In honor of our two years in Houston “Deck them halls Y’all!
In honor of three years living in the Netherlands
I may live in Norway but I’m still a Jersey Girl at heart
And just to even out all those Norwegian flags on the tree, an American angel on top
Posted on December 9, 2012, in all things American, all things Norsk and tagged America, Christmas tree, decorating, Egersund, Holidays, Houston, Jul, Netherlands, New Jersey, Norway, ornaments, pictures. Bookmark the permalink. 19 Comments.
We do a fake tree too; the last time we had a real one I had a terrible allergic reaction. Love the photos and especially the Jersey Girl ornament, Maggie!
mine a fake tree too though after ten years it starting to lose its pine cones so maybe time for a new one I love the way your tree represents the journey you have taken around the globe maybe I will pick up something to add to the tree each new place I visit
Very funny about the chlorine! Can’t you spray it with pine scent or something?
happy holidays from jersey girl! xoxo
Love your decorations Maggie and I agree November is just far too early for the Xmas Tree
There are a lot of great memories when setting up the Christmas tree! Embrace everyone and come next year…..you’ll have a few more from 2013 <3
I still have my father’s Christmas flags. I didn’t know if it made him homesick at the holidays or not, but they were always on the tree.
It’s a tradition he probably just couldn’t brake, Jon.
God Jul og Godt Nytt År!
I love this, Maggie. Wonderful ornaments, and the flags look really pretty in the tree. Before I read the caption, I thought the last picture was a very big statue in your home.
Love the ornaments from your different life journeys. Adore our Statue of Liberty! Good for you for putting up early! (mine has been up since Thanksgiving weekend….it’s a skinny one this year….but it too, is pre-lit!) ♥
Your keepsake ornaments are special but I love your style with the American angel on top. We have amassed our keepsakes and amongst the cats, kookaburras, kangaroo, emu, reindeers… our favourite remains the stuffed turkey toy who sits beneath the tree & guards the presents, acquired in memory of our neighbour’s real pet turkey who’d become a fox dinner, after we’ve took ourselves out for a pre-Christmas lunch complete with a bottle of wine, then went off to Santa’s Cave at one of the big department stores, found and carried him home on the train between us
pretty tree….nice to see us on top
)))
Hallo
I’ve a christmas card for you! : ) You can pick it up here http://summer4soul.wordpress.com/2012/12/11/1022/
Have a nice day
Sweet greetings, Summer
I love your Jersey Girl ornament, Maggie
I prefer fake trees because I feel sad when I see people chopping down trees at Christmas time 
It really is a waste, isn’t it… Thanks, Dianne
I love the smell of a real tree, but I have seen them burn REALFAST. that potential for no Christmas for us ever again has really doused my plans to ever have on again.
I’m sorry to say that I loved reading about your light stringing arguments! That’s just so authentic! I find it so frustrating stringing lights! Grr! I had to take ours down and put them back up three times this year! GRR!
Love your story and your beautiful decorations. You will, well and truly, be here next year to do the whole Christmas thing again!
Yeah… those damn lights!
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