It’s the first of December, advent arrives in the hobbit house!

Dad retrieves the tree and accoutrements from the shed. I get chastised for having stuffed things into the shed, so he couldn’t find the stuff so easily. He then spends time constructing the six foot synthetic spruce that we have had ten years this year. It’s predecessor has disappeared into Christmas tree heaven. If it was still around, it would be same age as me. And that ‘faerie’ is actually the same age as me, a nice round thirty years old.

All the colour coded limbs are attached, slowly and with precision. Having all been bundled together with metal ties last year. Then the family tradition occurs, with pops putting the lights on. And trying not to get dizzy, as we form a chain. One threads the lights out the box, the next person goes clockwise, the third anti clockwise. Lights are then switched on, and the decorations added. We have amassed so many, but we are now down the select few baubles. The red one’s remain, from years and years. Crocheted snow flakes, pine cones, tie bows. Lots of assorted ones. But only the one faerie.

Then comes the tinsel, and never on tree. That’s for decking the halls. Or krishna and Shiva as you see. The tree itself is sat next to the home mandir.

Britian at it’s multicultural best! The season for peace, goodwill, and sharing.