Christmas trees in Vancouver, 2009

Posted on December 10th, 2009 in Seasonal attractions

Even though I’m now 37 years old, and I don’t completely believe that there is a Santa Claus anymore, there is one time of the year that still manages to bring quite a bit of enjoyment to my soul. That time is Christmas time, when I start to feel, more than any other time of the year, somewhat like a little boy again. I’m sure many of you out there feel the same.

One of the things I really look forward to every Christmas is putting up my Christmas tree and decorations. Even though it takes many hours to get everything up, so far, I haven’t once thought of it as a chore, and actually enjoy doing it.

Now, I’ve had the same Christmas tree since I moved to Vancouver in 2003. It’s a 6 feet tall artificial tree that I bought at Sears at the time in the hope of creating my own Christmas here in Vancouver (since I was going to be away from all relatives).

Besides buying a tree, I also picked up a few sets of lights (300 total), and some ornaments (around 100). The kinds of ornaments I went with were the solid color glass ones, and I picked them up at the Real Atlantic Superstore. This was the best choice, I think, because glass ornaments can really enhance the look of the tree by reflecting the lights. In a sense, it is similar to having even more lights on your tree. The glass ornaments were in the same colors as my mini indoor lights: green, red, blue, yellow/gold, and purple.

I like to put garland around my tree, too. No angel hair or ribbons (maybe someday, though) for me. I think of it as representing the snow you might see on a tree outside after a snowfall. I used to have gold colored garland, but now I’m using a shiny white that looks like a cross between cotton and glass. And let’s not forget about the star. Some people put an angel on the top of their tree, but I prefer a star with lights. My star has the same colors again as my lights and ornaments.

Over the years, I’ve also added more lights and bought a few different kinds of ornaments to add some variety. My lights now total 600, and they go around the back, too, because I like to open my curtains and show it in the window sometimes.

Anyway, here is the end result of my tree decorating for 2009. I hope you’ll like it. I think pictures just don’t do it justice, though, especially since I only have my cheap cell phone camera for taking pictures now. When I see these pictures, I always think, wow, it sure looks many times more beautiful in person, but this is the best I can get for now, until I get a real camera.

My Christmas tree, 2009

My Christmas tree, 2009, and other decorations

Now is the perfect time of the year to check out tons of beautiful Christmas trees in this city. I recommend checking out the big name hotels like The Four Seasons, The Fairmont, The Hyatt, and The Sheraton. The Four Seasons always has a good assortment of Christmas trees that you can find in the lobby, upstairs, and spilling right into the Pacific Centre Mall.