You may remember a collaboration I did with Floral Garage earlier this year. I am proud to say that this year they have developed another mew subsidiary, Christmas Tree Singapore. And so, they actually a mini survey find out who spend most during Christmas and what we spend on the most during Christmas. Yikes. Curious about the research? You can find them hereIt is kinda of early for Christmas, but the retailers spend a lot of their resources to find out our behavior! United Overseas Bank came up with an infographic using their statistics to show what most men and women want and want to give for Christmas.
I think I agree with most of the findings. Personally, I am quite practical so my family and BF get me things I would need and use for Christmas. I do like surprises but this usually come from friends. Haha and of course there are always time where it more of a shock like what on earth was this person thinking when he/she bought this...But, I do spend a lot more than that for Christmas cos we don't really celebrate thanksgiving so it is the only time in the year where you can show appreciation to those around you and they don't question you about your niceness. :D
But it does seems that most consumers indeed
spend the most on themselves, and on
house decorations! This is not really surprising at all because:-
- Everyone wants to celebrate Christmas in beautiful atmosphere. I am not Christian but even my house has a Christmas Tree. My family take it as a day where we can gift each other expensive presents and gather together.
- My Dad takes a lot of pride in making sure the tree looks great every Christmas. When we were younger, we would handmade the deco. Our tree doesn't have a specific theme, we would just hang anything happy on it. So as the years go by, our tree become over-decorated. Wonder what would happen when I have kids, we may never see leaves. LOL!
- I am quite Instagram crazy and I sure many of you are too right. So there is some feel good factor when we receive compliments because of the beautiful decorations and the effort we put in to make our tree really special!
Here are some items I consolidated which you would need this Christmas to effectively create the festive mood!
1. Christmas Trees The number one must-have during Christmas - tree. In countries that experience winter, families often purchase real life Christmas Trees. Most of us have only synthetic tree at home because the type of climate that Singapore has would not be suitable for a real life Christmas Tree at all. Despite the fact Christmas Trees signify life in the midst of winter, they would never survive the long ride here. :(Fake trees work well for us cos we don't really want to sweep their needles. Moreover, due to commercial reasons, such real life trees are constantly treated with pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers which may be quite health issue. Bleh!
2. Baubles I am pretty sure nobody wants the trees to look bald. Baubles are actually meant to replicate the fruits on your tree. Guess that's probably why red baubles are the most popular!
3. Christmas LightsOne of my favorite decorations is the christmas lights. I always look forward to the lighting up of Christmas trees overseas. It is so magical. Some of you may like to purchase trees that come with attached light bulbs but do you know they are often not replaceable should any of light bulb blows! I do recommend the conventional method of lighting up your own tree because there is really more room for customisation and most importantly, it is incredibly fun!
4. WreathsWreaths are made in a circular fashion to signify eternity. It is believed that the a long time ago, the Romans exchanged wreaths with each other as a sign of wishing good health. Today, in modern culture, families still hang wreaths at their front doors. I don't have one of these at home. But wreaths are one deco that signifies Christmas. Maybe this year, I will have one too :D
5. Stockings The original significance of hanging a Christmas Stocking out on Christmas Eve was so that Santa Claus would be able to fill it with small toys or gifts. Singapore never really had chimneys to begin with and as we grow up, we slowly realised that Santa Claus never really came (cos we are too naughty) but our parents would make sure our stockings are stuff full. Gone are my days of naivety, but leave your stockings up cos I am sure someone out there would want to fatten it with a thing or 2.
Do plan early for Christmas if you are planning to have the most awesome tree in town. I hope you can support
Christmas Tree Singapore because they are local and I write a lot for them. So you are indirectly supporting me if you support them.
Floral Garage has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success ever since its founding two years ago. From its humble beginnings operating in a HDB unit in Toa Payoh, they have now cquired a physical operation space in Upper Serangoon and a warehouse in Jln Pemimpin. So of course, I hope Christmas Tree Singapore will share the same success.We will have more surprises next week so stay tune!!!
