Christmas tree

The best bit of Christmas for me is the Christmas tree. It has to be real, and it has to have multi-coloured lights - none of this tasteful white light business (although equally let's not be having flashing lights either). We decorate the tree with a collection of ornaments gathered over the years since I left home, many of them acquired on our holidays - we have olive wood kings from Cyprus, a tau from Assissi, wooden figures from Germany and Switzerland, motmot birds from Costa Rica, brass medallions from Kathmandu, and sea shells from a Cape Cod beach, among other things. This means that every year decorating the tree is an opportunity to remember good times and all the fun we've had together. It makes the tree trimming extra-special.