Whether they celebrate Christmas or not, most Americans look forward to December and the start of the holiday season. Poinsettias, Christmas trees, tinsel, ornaments, baking, carols, TV specials and brilliant Christmas light displays are all part of the festivities that make December such an exciting time of year. Each of us has a special something that tells us it’s time to switch into holiday mode. For some people, it’s when they start baking shortbreads and gingerbread cookies, or when the Christmas gift baskets start showing up at work. For others, it’s when the family ventures out to choose the Christmas tree, or when they spend a Saturday afternoon putting up the strings of outdoor lights. For my family, it’s when we receive our Christmas flower deliveries from 1-800flowers.com and pick out the Christmas gift basket for my uncle.
I grew up in a family that celebrates Christmas in a big way. Our house is usually the first one on the block to put up it’s Christmas tree (my parents were also one of the first to buy an artificial tree since our trees were always drying out and becoming fire hazards from being up for so long) and my dad has all of the trees in the front yard completely covered in a web of LED lights by the last week of November- think Christmas Vacation, but with multicolored bulbs instead of white. My mom has at least half a dozen Poinsettias strategically placed throughout the house in that last week of November as well, but since these are potted plants they last well into the next year. Since making the switch to the artificial tree, my parents decided that they needed more living decorations to compensate for the plastic and concluded that arrangements of Christmas flowers would fit the bill perfectly. Besides adding even more color, they have a wonderful scent; sometimes they order an arrangement that includes some balsam sprigs in the greenery and you’d almost swear there was a real tree hiding in the room.
When my parents are getting ready to place that Christmas flower order, we also flip through the web site to find a unique Christmas gift basket for my uncle who lives in Florida. He and my dad came to an arrangement years ago forbidding them from buying each other presents (after one too many silk ties). Christmas gift baskets are a way of skirting that “no presents” rule and so it’s become part of our tradition to pick him out something a little different to send each year. Since 1-800flowers.com also carries a huge assortment of baskets, we make a point of finding something that will appeal to him and that’s nothing like what we sent him in previous years -it’s almost a game.
When we send off our order for Christmas gift baskets and centerpieces and the Christmas flower arrangement my uncle always sends us arrives, I know that the Christmas season has officially begun.

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