December's finally here!

I smell Christmas in the air! :o)

Well, ok, maybe not really... but I want to! I want to do something to help me start feeling festive, and it's not as easy here in Alicante as it was in Belgium with all the decorations in the streets and the music and most specially the Christmas markets!!! I miss the smells, the sounds, and yes, even the chill in the morning! All signs that Christmas is fast approaching.

The signs can be found here as well, but only in the TV-ads or in the supermarkets. Those have decked out their special holiday sweets, with tables overflowing with various kinds of turr�n and polvorones and mazapanes... a sugary heaven! ;o)

Turr�n anyone? (read more here)

The poinsettas are also out en masse. Both in the supermarkets, street markets and plant shops... Maybe I should try and keep one alive this year? ;o)

Nochebuena - Flor de Pascua - Poinsetta - Rose de No�l... however you want to call it!

I didn't do anything Christmassy here on the Blog last year. Too busy wrapping up my classes (and playing in the snow) before leaving Belgium to spend the Holidays with my sister in New Zealand. Two years ago (so Christmas 2009) I had a "12 Days of Christmas" series up which was a lot of fun! Then in 2008 I did a series of posts on Christmas traditions that I didn't quite finish (only managed to talk about Spain's Christmas lottery, the Christmas feasts, and New Year's resolutions), so maybe I'll work a bit more on those this year? Dunno yet... I'll think of something!

I've also got to clean up / organise this apartment and pull out the Christmas decorations! And start shopping for gifts! I'm always running late on those...

How do you plan on preparing for Christmas?