Gruesse aus die Alpen !!Though Americans excel at over-commercializing and drawing out Christmas to its last viable centimeter in the many weeks preceding the 25th of December, Europeans still prefer to celebrate the actual 12 days of Christmas, keeping their trees up until Jan 6. On Dec. 26th, Americans, on the brink of losing it if they hear "Jingle Bell Rock" one more time, toss out that big, messy tree that's been sitting up since the Sunday after Thanksgiving and stop plugging in their "Christmas Vacation" lights display. Europeans don't put up their tree, or at least don't decorate it, until Christmas Eve, and keep relighting the fire hazard candles until Jan 6.
While the celebration of 12 days of Christmas is rather romantic and also more religiously significant, it is still just totally inconvenient for me when I am allllllll done with celebrations, and ready to get the New Year started, preferably with some groceries and NOTHING is open. I go to pay bills on Jan 3 (the THIRD!) and they are still on vacation (and conveniently, today is Sunday Jan 4, so they get an automatic additional day of vacation).
It's so funny to me as an American, who is used to post-Christmas sales frenzy Dec 26th at 6 am through a full workday on the 31st and then maybe the 1st is off, but then Jan 2 is back to business with a vengeance.
I'll be glad when I can buy normal things at normal hours again starting this week!!!!
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