Christmas Preparations the Chinese Way

In America, Christmas is triggered by 'Black Friday' preceded by completion of a Thanksgiving turkey, pumpkin pie and a football game.  In China, Christmas didn't follow anything like a holiday or start off with a stampee at midnight into the Walmarts.  Last weekend it wasn't here and this weekend it was.  

In Yu Garden there are shops that turn into Christmas shops during the
first week of December.  Like everywhere here, you bargain.  We bought beautiful
ornaments for about 50 cents each.

Caomei loved here antlers.

Many shops with Christmas stuff and artificial trees.  Much of it was really
tacky!

 This will be the first year in my life with a fake Christmas tree.  It is very expensive to buy a real tree here ($100 - 250) and supposedly, they don't last at all.  I can still say the only time I've had a fake tree is in China...  The artificial trees were about $30 - $60 for a 5-6' height.  

This is in our local Carrefour.  They had a aisle with fake trees.

Carrefour Christmas aisle.

Here is our artificial tree.  It is a 8-9' tree that we bought off of a friend.

The boys were decorating it after Baba had to fix some branches.

All new lights and ornaments this year!  We couldn't fit our ornaments,
stockings or star so we had to buy all new this year.  Good thing it is cheap
here.

These are the 50 cent, or cheaper, handmade ornaments.  There are some
keepers in here.

圣诞节快乐
(Merry Christmas)