Maria in Vancouver
How To Rock A Cool Christmas Tree
Photo courtesy of the author.
The weather is cooler, the air is a lot crisper, and we’ve had our first snowfall in Vancouver so it’s safe to announce that Christmas is definitely around the corner in this part of the world! While back home in the Philippines and true to its Yuletide tradition, Christmas comes early because decorations are usually up by September the earliest. Elsewhere around the globe, Christmas songs are already played at the malls and on the radio. And may we remind everyone that the Christmas season is incomplete if there are no Christmas trees! Whether it’s a Rockefeller Christmas tree or a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, a Christmas tree is definitely the dot on the i!
In Western traditions, Christmas trees are usually put up at the beginning of Advent, which begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. For this year, Advent begins on Sunday, 27th November 2022. For those who go against the tide, they put up their trees either on the first week of December or at the latest, on Christmas Eve. Throughout the years, putting up your Christmas tree has become more of a personal preference.
Did you know that there’s even a personality research study conducted based on when you put up your Christmas tree decorations? Carmen Harra, author of “Committed: Finding Love and Loyalty Through the Seven Archetypes,” claims that whether you put your decorations up as early as November, during the first week of December, or if you leave it for the last minute says a lot about your personality.
Apparently, when you decorate in November or early December, this shows that “you like to get things done before or on schedule.” Whereas last-minute decorators signal tardiness and a habit of procrastination.
Let’s take a peek at Vancouver’s exclusive group of amazing sisterhood tribe and their fabulous Christmas trees. Let’s learn a thing or two about how these successful and multitasking “Filipina-Canadian Wonder Women of Vancouver” rock a cool Christmas tree decor!
Photo courtesy of Socorro Babes Castro Newland.
Socorro Babes Castro Newland. One of Vancouver’s shakers and movers in the Filipino community, Babes is a top Manager for a popular signature luxury brands store for women, Kate Spade in a West Vancouver location. She also volunteers in the Filipino community by organising successful events and fundraising.
When do you start putting up your Christmas tree and how long do you keep it up? “As much as I try to put up my tree in September or October just like in the Philippines, I usually get caught up with so many things and activities, plus my full-time job. Hence, I find time to do it either mid-November or early December.”
Photo courtesy of Socorro Babes Castro Newland.
What’s your Christmas tree decor/motif this year? “I go by colour motif each year. This year I went for ‘opulence’ as my colour theme which is in various shades of gold and silver; green, white, and beige.”
Photo courtesy of Socorro Babes Castro Newland.
What was the inspiration behind your decor this year? “I’ve started following various Netflix movies and series on British Royalties like ‘The Crown,’ ‘The King’s Speech,’ ‘Versailles,’ ‘Gosford Park,’ to name a few. That’s how I got inspired about my Christmas tree this year.”
Photo courtesy of Socorro Babes Castro Newland.
Do you prefer real or fake Christmas trees? “Ideally, I would go for ‘live’ or freshly cut Christmas trees because of the fresh pine scent that it exudes around the house and it’s biodegradable. However, I also know that they are super costly and I don’t like the idea of cutting down so many trees just to be used for home ornaments.”
Photo courtesy of Socorro Babes Castro Newland.
Where do you buy your decorations? “My beautiful (they look real at first glance) 8 feet tall tree was purchased at Rustan’s Makati (Philippines) way back in 2001! As well as my massive collection of ornaments that I’ve used for the next 5 years prior to moving to Canada. But since then each year, I supplement my existing ones by going to Michael’s, Pottery Barn, Dollarama, and the now defunct Pier 1 Imports. The last one was my favourite spot to go to.”
Babes’ deliciously mouthwatering homemade Buko salad. Photo courtesy of Socorro Babes Castro Newland.
Do you have any family traditions during Christmas? “Since I put so much effort and creative ideas on doing my tree each year, my children and family make it a point to have our annual family photos taken in front of our Christmas tree. As well as opening gifts on Christmas mornings in front of our tree with Bob (my husband) donned in a Santa hat and ugly Christmas sweater handing out gifts!”
Photo courtesy of Socorro Babes Castro Newland.
Babes, what do you usually prepare for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? “It’s usually choices from Filipino delicacies from Beef Caldereta, Ox Tail Kare-Kare, Lechon Kawali, Beef / Ox Tongue Lengua in White Mushroom Sauce, or sometimes Roasted Turkey.”
Photo courtesy of Tessa Rama Belland.
Tessa Rama Belland. This beautiful former top fashion model from Manila hails from one of Cebu’s prominent political families. Tessa is Holt Renfrew’s top shoe seller and she counts Vancouver’s high society ladies amongst her exclusive clients.
When do you start putting up your Christmas tree and how long do you keep it up? “I usually put up my Christmas tree before Thanksgiving because I work in retail and I tend to get really busy during the holidays. I tend to decorate earlier because of my free and less hectic schedule. I tend to put away my Christmas tree the first week of January.”
Photo courtesy of Tessa Rama Belland.
What’s your Christmas tree decor/motif this year? “This year my motifs are white and silver. Last year, I had gold and red as motifs. I like to change motifs every year and I tend to stick with two colour motifs. I buy new Christmas decorations each year and I choose decorations that give meaning to my life each year.
Photo courtesy of Tessa Rama Belland.
What was the inspiration behind your decor this year? “My colour motifs for this year (white and silver) symbolise peace. I’m hoping for a more peaceful world, for love, and that hopefully there will be no war in the future.”
Tessa with her equally beautiful daughter, Sharde. Photo courtesy of Tessa Rama Belland.
Do you prefer real or fake Christmas trees? “My husband passed away 18 yrs ago, and since then, I’ve preferred fake Christmas trees out of convenience. I don’t mind it. I have a fake Christmas tree that’s perfect for my condo. I love it.”
Photo courtesy of Tessa Rama Belland.
Where do you buy your decorations? “I buy my Christmas decorations from various Christmas markets, from my neighbourhood drug store, and when I travel to different places. Once, I found a really cute Christmas decoration from Riquiwehr, France. Another time, I found a unique decoration from this small village in the South of France which has a famous Christmas store. The funny thing was that it was summer and yet, there was a huge line up when I went there. It was so busy!”
Tessa with her equally beautiful daughter, Sharde. Photo courtesy of Tessa Rama Belland.
Do you have any family traditions during Christmas? “My only daughter, Sharde and I would visit my Filipino family friends for Christmas Eve, that’s where we usually celebrate the 24th of December. For Christmas Day, Sharde and her husband Hamid would come to my place, and we would cook breakfast.”
Tessa posing in front of her fellow sisterhood tribe, Michelle Carillo’s Christmas tree. Photo courtesy of the author.
Tessa, what do you usually prepare for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? “I usually prepare my specialty which is frittata and we play Christmas music, then we exchange gifts. In the evening, we would go to Sharde’s aunt’s place for Christmas dinner. I would bring desserts.”
Photo courtesy of Michelle Carillo.
Michelle Carillo. Glamorous, gorgeous, and fashionable Michelle is Vancouver’s hostess with the mostest. Her beautiful home in Port Coquitlam is everyone’s favourite place for parties because Michelle serves a Michelin star five-course menu all year round!
When do you start putting up your Christmas tree and how long do you keep it up? “I try to put up my tree after my youngest daughter Alanah’s birthday, which is on November 26, because I want to focus on Alanah’s special day.”
Photo courtesy of Michelle Carillo.
What’s your Christmas tree decor/motif this year? “To be honest, I would love to change and follow the colour trend each year. But our Christmas tree is much more than that. It is my family story, my children’s childhood memories, our travel experiences, our family’s sports activities, our friends, acquaintances, decorations that I associate with heartbreaks, and even the loss of family members, and the demise of our beloved pets. When I put my tree up, I see stories and experiences written on each decoration. Also, nothing excites me more than receiving a new addition to my ornament collections. I’m that simple!”
Photo courtesy of Michelle Carillo.
What was the inspiration behind your decor this year? “Every year, I collect at least two or three new ornaments to add to my Christmas decorations. In 2020, my husband purchased a Santa wearing a mask in line with the Coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, we bought a Santa holding a syringe and ornaments that commemorate the birth of my godson, Matteo, and my goddaughter, Phoebe. This year, I ordered ornaments to commemorate the passing of our beloved pets — our cat, Layla and our dog, Duke.”
Photo courtesy of Michelle Carillo.
Do you prefer real or fake Christmas trees? “The idea of a freshly cut tree looks and smells divine. But, my fake Christmas tree holds deep sentimental value, especially to me, so I’ve kept the same fake tree for years!”
Photo courtesy of Michelle Carillo.
Where do you buy your decorations? “I collect and buy my ornaments pretty much everywhere, especially when we travel to new places. I used to buy my decorations from Pier 1 Import store, unfortunately, this store is now closed in Canada. Thank goodness, you can still order decorations online. I also have a few other online store websites where I can get made-to-order ornaments.”
Photo courtesy of Michelle Carillo.
Do you have any family traditions during Christmas? “Every year, we take family photos by the grand staircase where our Christmas tree stands and to also show our other Christmas decorations as well. We also open our gifts and greet each other in front of our Christmas tree.”
Michelle with her beautiful family. Photo courtesy of Michelle Carillo.
Michelle, what do you usually prepare for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? “I am very traditional and I like familiarity. I tend to always do the ones that I know my family and friends like, which is Roast Turkey, Roast Beef, Stuffed Ricotta and spinach shell pasta, Bacon-Chestnut Brussel sprout, and my Fennel ham Emmental cheese salad amongst other dishes. Depending on how large my dinner party is, I would also do lots of side dishes and different sauce/gravy.”
Photo courtesy of Liberty Kunimitsu.
Liberty Kunimitsu. This vivacious and vibrant beauty is Vancouver’s well-known life and soul of any party! Liberty is also known for being a Tequila connoisseur and everyone’s favourite bff because of her kind and generous heart!
When do you start putting up your Christmas tree and how long do you keep it up? “I put up my Christmas tree every last week of November. I keep it till January, after 3 kings.”
Photo courtesy of Liberty Kunimitsu.
What’s your Christmas tree decor/motif this year? “Our tree is 8 ‘tall, I always use the same decor every year. I bought all the decor in the Bombay Store in Vancouver.”
Photo courtesy of Liberty Kunimitsu.
What was the inspiration behind your decor this year? “I always like to feel the Christmas spirit; the holiday season won’t be complete without Christmas decorations and songs. When I get that feeling inside me, then, it’s time to turn my home into Christmas village.”
Photo courtesy of Liberty Kunimitsu.
Do you prefer real or fake Christmas trees? “We love fresh Christmas trees, unfortunately, our building strata management won’t allow to us to use fresh tree.”
Photo courtesy of Liberty Kunimitsu.
Where do you buy your decorations? “I bought my Christmas decorations in the Bombay Store in Vancouver.”
Photo courtesy of Liberty Kunimitsu.
Do you have any family traditions during Christmas? “It’s not really what I’d call a tradition. On Christmas Day (25th), the first thing I do when I wake up is open the window if it’s snowing! Then, we open gifts under our Christmas tree wearing our pyjamas. After opening our gifts, we have our breakfast while still wearing our pyjamas! We go to church after and give our thanks. Then, we always drive to Mount Seymour for some fun sleigh and snowshoeing.”
Photo courtesy of Liberty Kunimitsu.
Liberty, what do you usually prepare for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? “On Christmas Eve, we partake on delicious, homemade traditional Filipino dishes at my dear Mama Puring’s home.”
As per yours truly, I started to put up our Christmas tree this year on the morning of November 27, the fourth Sunday before Christmas. I intend to put away our tree and the decorations before January 6th (3 Kings). My Christmas tree motif for this year is classic red, green and gold. I wanted to have the classic Christmas colours for this season as I take inspiration from feel good Christmas movies such as Home Alone, Love Actually, and Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The colour green represents Mother Earth and our environment. Red symbolises love and passion. The colour gold means abundance and prosperity.
Photo courtesy of the author.
I prefer fake trees because the environmental impact of artificial trees is so much better than a real tree if we use our fake trees for at least five years. Also, artificial trees are low maintenance — you don’t have to spend as much time cleaning up after them. Ever since I’ve been with my husband, we’ve had the same artificial tree for four years now!
Photo courtesy of the author.
I used to buy decorations from stores like Homesense, IKEA, or Canadian Tire. Since the pandemic, I’ve been buying online either through Wayfair or SHEIN. With regard to Christmas family tradition — since there’s only the three of us for Christmas — my husband, my son and I usually go out for Christmas Eve dinner at one of our favourite restaurants.
Photo courtesy of the author.
Before going out for our Christmas Eve dinner, my son and I would usually have our photos taken in front of our Christmas tree as part of our Mother and Son yearly tradition. My husband takes our photos! Our small family doesn’t exchange gifts; we only exchange gifts during each other’s birthdays; we prefer to watch a good movie at home after dinner before my son heads back home to his own place. The three of us also eat out at our favourite restaurants during Christmas Day and Boxing Day. As a family, we prefer to create memories together. We make it a point to celebrate Christmas with less waste!
Photo courtesy of the author.
As I’m proudly married to a fine Israeli-Canadian gentleman, I also try to incorporate Jewish festive decorations during the Hanukkah season. We have the beautiful tradition of lighting the Menorah; there’s a bright blue and ornate Hanukkah wreath at our door instead of a green Christmas wreath.
The blue and white candles represent the colours of Israel. Photo courtesy of the author.
On the last day of the Hanukkah, we usually go to my brother-in-law’s penthouse condo and have a huge family get together dinner as we light the Menorah. My Jewish hubby comes from a large family and so we usually have lots of fun catching up with each other! We eat special holiday foods like latkes and sufganiyot. We also do religious rituals such as reading of Scripture, recitation of some of the Psalms in Hebrew and singing special hymns. It’s a meaningful way for me to learn Hebrew! We’re just so blessed to celebrate two glorious festivities!
The beautiful colours of Israel. Photo courtesy of the author.
Just remember this: Christmas and Hanukkah aren’t just mere days, it’s a frame of mind. It is Christmas and Hanukkah in the heart that puts Christmas and Hanukkah in the air, and yes, it is the most wonderful time of the year!
Yearly tradition of our mother and son’s photo in front of our Christmas tree before going out for our Christmas dinner. Photo courtesy of the author.
