It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

It has been fun to watch the preparations for Christmas begin around Harrogate.  I have to say - there is a SERIOUS Christmas spirit here!  Preparations began pre-Halloween and the whole town is fully involved.  This weekend, the official start to Christmas arrives in Harrogate - the town Christmas Market began this morning (more on that in another post), Santa will officially arrive tonight, and the Mayor will flip on the town Christmas lights (which seem to be everywhere).  It is quite the scene - I love the festive spirit in the air.

A few observations about Christmas here:

• No Thanksgiving = Christmas Starts Earlier: I think the fact that there is not a major intervening holiday here (aka Thanksgiving) means that the Christmas season starts a bit earlier here.  The day after Halloween, preparation seemed to step in high gear 
• Darkness Requires a Festive Spirit: I am not sure if I have talked about this on the blog before, but it is seriously dark here.  Seasonal Affect Disorder is a real thing for people living here - as the sun is coming up ~9 am and setting ~3:30 pm.  So with few hours of sunlight, I think that the town needs some Christmas spirit to get through the dark.  Hooray for Christmas lights, hot chocolate, and decorations 
• Christmas Season over Holiday Season: In the United States, I think there is a lot of focus on an inclusive "holiday season" - I know P and I certainly subscribe to that sentiment with friends of many faiths.  Here, the population is a bit more homogeneous so everything is "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays."  Interesting nuance!   

Alfie and I stopped by the Christmas Market this morning for a sneak peek - I was impressed with the sheer volume of food, crafts, and merriment (including carnival rides).  I am looking forward to doing a bit of Christmas shopping and enjoying some delicious treats this weekend with P!

Alfie also wanted me to assure the blog world that he is feeling Christmas in his heart!  He is very pleased with his new little elf sweater - I have been calling him "Alfie the Elfie"