For me Christmas season is one of my favorite times of the year.  Why?  Because of the lights.    This year Hanukkah,  the Jewish eight-day festival of lights, begins on the same day as Christmas.  Every evening during Hanukkah, the family gathers to light a candle on the menorah until, 8 days later, all of the candles are burning.

Hanukkah is celebrated with prayers, good food and exchanging gifts.  It is also a time of reflection.     I like to decorate around the house with strings of lights and candles and I think it is very nice to combine both holidays.

Here I put a small Hanukkah book under the Christmas tree

I placed a Hanukkah menorah next to Christmas decorations and I think it looks very nice.  Once all the candles are burning it will look very festive.

Strings of lights everywhere

going to Christmas markets in the evening.  Here the Christmas market in Vieux Terrebonne, Quebec.

                                                                                                                                  source:  LaMetropole.com

bright lights from houses can be seen in the darkness of the night

sitting next to the Christmas tree

Instead of a Christmas tree other plants  or pine branches can be used to hang decorations and to place strings of lights.   Lights around windows or around paintings look also very nice.   I keep my lights all winter long.   I call them my winter lights.

Here I placed a painting next to some branches.  

Winter paintings,  white skates, Christmas tree decorations, stars etc . all make good objects to use as decorations for the season.

A PICTURE OF THE BIG SNOWSTORM TODAY

Tina deep  in the snow