I’m slowly but surely starting to get into Christmas mood. It’s a little more difficult here in Washington than in many of the places where I’ve lived because of the climate and the not so dark winter months. Many of the traditions that we have in Sweden around Christmas try to lit up the darkness that defines this season. It’s all about candles! But with temperatures being around 10 degrees and the sun not setting before 5 pm, I do not long for light in the same way and thus tend to forget some traditions that otherwise prepare for Christmas. Also, as I wrote earlier, this has been a hectic fall and it seems like it was just September, so I think I’m having trouble realizing that it’s Christmas.

But I’m getting there! Earlier this week, I went to the Alexandria Harmonizers’ Christmas Concert at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria (my colleague’s husband sings in the choir and the concert was great!!), today I got all the Christmas food (I even found herring at Whole Foods), tomorrow I’m Christmas baking with Monika, and Sunday I’m going caroling up in Maryland with my colleague’s family and their friends. So I should hopefully be in Christmas mood by Monday!