The thought of families all getting together makes me tearful, airports make me tearful, carols make me tearful. If you want waterworks, just put on 'Oh Holy Night' and the floodgates open.

Social media is full of folk heading somewhere to be with their families. The airports are jammed with sons, daughters, mothers fathers all coming or going home....The talk in the airplane aisles is all about 'Home' Grannies, grandpas and babies. ( with the exception of the Air Zimbabwe aisles around which the topic of conversation is rather different Hee Hee )

Our beautiful new Christmas swag, courtesy of brilliant Wrights Nursery, all turquoise and silver, festoons the dining room table already! The men were at work along Leopold Takawira erecting the Christmas lights, and Rotary Club Carols By Candlelight took place in the Centenary Park Amphitheater, on Tuesday, as usual it rained, but how blessed that was!!

Pick n' Pay Bradfield opened today with a flourish, although they forgot to advise Zimra which caused chaos, but I believe it looks wonderful!!

Carols were heard loud and clear at Fazaks, they are looking very festive and does so much for the Bulawayo Community, they had lovely glassware for sale for Christmas gifts I saw, as well as toys galore.

The Paradise Fly Catcher is adding his own brand of Christmas Carol to the delicious garden noises, and the Agapanthus, which make such a glorious display at this time of the year, abound in all their glory.

One of the most wonderful Christmas feelings, is the feeling of giving and our Community sure knows how to give! Countless shoe boxes were packed by kindly folk, as Christmas gifts for the underprivileged. The Bulawayo Country Club Tennis Section piles onto a 7 ton truck, and dishes out gifts and Christmas cheer to all the oldies, all the while lustily singing Carols at high volume, around the Frail Care Homes!! Schools send their choirs to the Old Age Homes to cheer up our precious 'Oldies' Even though school has closed - Girls' College Choir still has several concerts planned for performance to Frail Care Centres, in Bulawayo right up until Christmas. Generous folk have been organizing severe Christmas luncheons or Meals on Wheels for some of the less fortunate.

The schools have all had a glorious year end Christmas 'send off' with the wonderful Nativity plays done and dusted, Carol Concerts at each and every school, and exams are over thank goodness.

Christmas in the Tropics is very different to Christmas in the Snow. It could be possibly boerewors and chops instead of turkey and ham, but it is just as special.
Its not easy to find a Douglas Fir in Bulawayo but beautiful and dramatic Christmas trees can be fashioned from bottlebrush trees, the elegant sisal flowers dried and painted white, or yucca plants if one uses one's imagination!

The Editor of Morning Mirror, and her long suffering Husband, wish each and every reader peace, love and joy this Christmas, and extra special happiness in the New Year.