topum: (Default)
topum ([personal profile] topum) wrote2016-12-16 11:56 pm
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Christmas tree in progress

We walked to the neighbouring village through the woods today before the sun set for the project closing meeting there. It was a great day.



They started decorating their Christmas tree there already. It will get much busier when they are done I was told. They start late here with Christmas stuff compared to Western Europe so this is considered early, there are no signs of Christmas decorations in our village yet. I think they are later than we are with this because Christmas is not that commercialised here so nobody is incentivised to start getting people in festive mood asap to sell stuff.

[identity profile] manintheboat.livejournal.com 2016-12-17 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
Eastern Orthodox Christmas is later.
http://www.christianpost.com/news/why-the-orthodox-church-celebrates-christmas-on-jan-7-66615/

[identity profile] topum.livejournal.com 2016-12-17 01:59 pm (UTC)(link)
That's mostly a Church holiday here, the tree is only weakly associated with it, it is mostly about the New Year (they call it New Year Fir here even not Christmas tree). Also, in "Mother Romania" (which is also Orthodox) 25th is now the official Christmas holiday day. But none of the Christmases can rival the New Year Eve / Day here. This is because during the Soviet times Christmas was not celebrated at all and people got accustomed that it is all about the New Year. Christmas is for going to church quietly mostly and for carol singing in the villages, that they still do on the 7th.
darkoshi: (mohawk daisy)

[personal profile] darkoshi 2016-12-17 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
What a pretty tree. It looks like it grows there, right? I like the idea of that better than trucking in a tree that was cut down.

[identity profile] topum.livejournal.com 2016-12-17 02:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes it does grow there and they decorate it every year.

[identity profile] wanderipity.livejournal.com 2016-12-17 08:14 am (UTC)(link)
That's gorgeous!

[identity profile] topum.livejournal.com 2016-12-17 02:46 pm (UTC)(link)
I am told it gets much better here in January.

[identity profile] erychan86.livejournal.com 2016-12-17 01:02 pm (UTC)(link)
WOW! The first picture is gorgeous! The second tree is so big... I'd love to be one of the people that has to trim it <3

[identity profile] topum.livejournal.com 2016-12-17 02:47 pm (UTC)(link)
They keep telling me that January is when winter really kicks in here and it get much more beautiful then apparently.
ext_189645: (Mollydog in the snow.)

[identity profile] bunn.livejournal.com 2016-12-17 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
It's beautiful... Are you staying in Moldova for the winter then?

[identity profile] topum.livejournal.com 2016-12-18 10:09 pm (UTC)(link)
I hope not ). But then we came here for a quick one day drive through. And ended up living here for half a year, buying two houses, planting a forest, clearing three huge illegal dumps, building a canalisation and water supply system, etc ).
We are definitely going away for Christmas, that much I know.

[identity profile] tigerweave.livejournal.com 2016-12-18 12:24 pm (UTC)(link)
I love the decorations on the tree. But I extra-like that little orange-leaved bush in the bottom-right of the top picture.

Interesting what you wrote in the comments about the New Year being more important and why.

[identity profile] topum.livejournal.com 2016-12-18 10:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, some of us just refuse to lose any colour even in winter.

[identity profile] tigerweave.livejournal.com 2016-12-19 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
LOL :-)

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[identity profile] beautesauvage13.livejournal.com 2016-12-19 02:39 am (UTC)(link)

Nice pics.  I wish Christmas were less commercialized here.  It's ridiculous here now.  Santa is bigger then Jesus. 


Athena

[identity profile] topum.livejournal.com 2016-12-19 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
It seems to be very family and friends oriented here.

[identity profile] beautesauvage13.livejournal.com 2016-12-19 11:45 pm (UTC)(link)

I'd love to have an old fashioned Christmas, where gifts are hand made.  Where it's all about getting together with Friends and family, having a big dinner..Turkey/ham with all the fixings. 


Now it's all about buying stuff and spending money. 


Athena