Pre-lit Christmas trees may be fun, but there’s nothing more joyful than decorating your own tree, top to bottom with your own lights and Christmas tree decorations. The White Company’s bestselling tree has hyper-realistic branches in a very natural shade of green to resemble a real Nordmann Fir. There are a remarkable 1,754 tips to give a full, bushy effect. Braga has a very unique Christmas tradition where every year, on December 24th, people from all over the city come together to eat bananas and drink Muscatel at Casa das Bananas on Rua do Souto. It’s also likely that many of the restaurants inside hotels will be open as well. Christmas Shopping in Portugal People say it’s just for the kids, but adults love it too. It’s definitely one of Portugal’s strangest culinary creations. The tree is simple to set up - it comes in three sections, which slot together and then into the metal stand provided; the branches are hinged and need to be pulled down into place. Despite the fullness of the design, it is much less heavy than the Balsam Hill, coming in at 14.4kg. It comes unlit, ready for your own lights and Christmas decorations. Billings-Cray recommends “warm colour palettes of copper, orange and traditional red”.

Lampreia de natal, a dessert made almost entirely of egg yolks and shaped like a lamprey fish, sometimes makes an appearance. As well as a choice of sizes from 4ft to a gargantuan 12ft, you get a range of lighting options. The Candlelight Clear, which I tested, has 650 bulbs. The multicoloured Colour + Clear version has 960 bulbs. The Twinkly Light Show option has just 480, but they can be controlled from a smartphone app for a variety of effects. There’s also an unlit version. Many people who come to Portugal often don’t realise that there are so many different types of Port: vintage, tawny, ruby, white, LBV, crusted…the list goes on.In some parts of Portugal, it even snows. Yes, it’s possible to have a white Christmas in Portugal is you head towards the Serra da Estrela. You can even go skiing! The end of Christmas Although there are affordable artificial xmas trees to be found, investing in one of the best artificial Christmas trees on the market doesn't usually come cheap. Look for trees made of PE (polyethylene), whose needles are injection moulded in 3D, sometimes using moulds of branches from real trees to create a more life-like appearance. PVC models are instead cut out of flat material. Make some crocheted Christmas ornaments for your tree. There are other cute ornaments on this blog for you to make. More Fun Free Amigurumi Crochet Christmas Patterns

As the lights are already evenly distributed throughout the whole tree, opting for a pre-lit tree will save you the job of fiddling about and potentially getting in a tangle over the perfect arrangement, plus you don't have to guess just how long a string of fairy lights you need to buy, or have unsightly wires showing through the branches in the daylight. I spent a week putting up a selection of artificial trees in my living room, at a range of price points. I wanted to see how closely they resembled real Christmas trees, judging them on the ease of assembly, safety features, durability (keeping an eye on any fake twigs breaking off), amount of branches, number of tips and detailing, as well as overall wow factor. If you’re visiting Portugal for Christmas and don’t want to cook Christmas lunch, it may be possible to go out for it. In the more touristy parts of the Algarve, some restaurants and pubs will be open. Some of these will be Portuguese restaurants, and some will be British-style restaurants. Restaurants and bars are also likely to close up early on the 24 th when everyone heads home to prepare for the Christmas dinner.I have chosen to review the 7ft models where available, which tend to be the most popular. But all are available in a range of sizes. Remember that you don’t have to plump for the most realistic artificial Christmas tree; twig trees, which were hugely popular last year, look set to be again this Christmas.

Full, dense foliage with highly realistic needles ensures there's plenty of visual wow-factor, but it's the hassle-free set-up that will really make your jaw drop –and justify its investment price tag. You don’t have to have this particular bacalhau recipe, of course. There are countless others – like bacalhau com natas and bacalhau com broad – that would be more than suitable for a Christmas meal. Sweets & Desserts You would need to use an artificial Christmas tree for 10 years for it to be more environmentally friendly than a real Christmas tree. This is because of metal, plastic, energy and water used in its manufacture and export (usually from China). A real Christmas tree removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while it’s growing and usually has less far to travel. It causes one tenth of the damage to the environment that an artificial Christmas tree does – unless it is being imported from overseas, in which case the transport emissions have to be taken into account.

Friends With A Fungi

It’s a chance to show your human side. Encouraging employees to decorate their workspace for the festive season shows your organisation’s human side. It shows you care about your staff’s wellbeing, morale and happiness at work. From Selfie Angels, A Star is Born and Santa’s Workshop to The Nightmare Before Christmas the offices look fantastically festive.

Christmas in Portugal is a unique experience. For some people, particularly those that come from very cold parts of the world, it doesn’t feel Christmasy enough. For others, the ability to walk outside and even get a little Vitamin D is a real Christmas miracle. Now, every year on December 24th, hundreds of people gather to wish each other a Merry Christmas and eat bananas and drink muscatel. Christmas markets The best artificial Christmas trees can now truly give the real deal a run for their money, plus, you get the bonus of convenience and get to opt out of December-long pine needle hoovering. Twig trees offer a contemporary and minimalist take on Christmas,” says Jason Billings-Cray, Christmas buyer at John Lewis. “They are also a great space saver for those with smaller homes, or those opting for more than one tree.”

In many parts of Portugal, particularly the Algarve, people sing in the New Year (a custom known as Janeiras) between January 1 st and January 6 th. Groups gather in the town and wander around singing, wishing people a happy new year, and asking for leftovers (or money). We recommend that your tree should be at least 20cm shorter than the ceiling, to allow for a Christmas tree topper,” says Dani Taylor, product and creative director at Cox & Cox. “A tight squeeze always looks a little ill-thought-out.” Balsam Hill CEO Mac Harman adds that a 7ft 5in tree is best for a standard 8-9ft ceiling. PE allows tree makers to mould the needles for better realism,” Mac Harman says. “PE trees generally have the best quality, colour and shape of any type of artificial tree.” Which are the best artificial Christmas trees? Employees are encouraged to work as a team. Challenging employees to create Christmas decorations as part of a competition can work wonders for team spirit.