December 25th Christmas in Kolomaya

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. 

This week we had +C temps and much of the snow has melted although on Dec. 25th it rained all day and today it's snowing with the forcast for more snow to fall this week and to be cooling off towards New Years eve, but only to minus 10C overnight.  This is the most difference in living in a climate like Ukraine's, here, we have passed the winter equinox and the weather apart from some snow still feels like fall.  Whereas in Canada there has usually been close to two months of cold snowy weather by now and one knows that winter has only just begun.

Last Saturday night Sviaty Mikoliy brought presents to all the good girls and boys and some grown-ups too. The next evening Kolomaya lit up it's evergreen in the centre of town. Here the decorated evergreen is  known as a New Years tree (probably decreed by the former regime) and not as a Christmas tree as in Canada.  People celebrating Christmas on the 24-5 th of Dec. often have a difficult time finding a tree in time but each year it is getting easier. 

December 25th is usually only celebrated by people from outside Ukraine and there is very little evidence of  any celebrations by the locals.  However, as many television commercials are being produced in the west for western companies, Coke being the best example, Ukraine is begining to be inundated with a western style holiday spirit.  Since gifts are usually given on Sviaty Mikoliy and on New Years advertizing on TV and radio is no different than in the west.  Stores are decorating their windows with Christmas scenes and western holiday music is becoming more noticable wherever one goes.  Each year more and more Christmas lights are seen decorating houses and outdoor trees.
A amusing aside involving the Christmas theme.  Lighting that we in Canada associate with Christmas can be seen throughout the year in resaurants and stores.  From time to time I have heard Christmas carols used as a ring tones for cell phones as well as Christmas music used in non-seasonal advertising.  for some reason this blog didn't get published, so sorry but better late than never.