<p>Yuletide is here and everyone is soaking in the festive spirit. With Bengalureans warming up for the holidays, it’s time to pep the house up and bring out the Christmas trees and decorations. Varying from snow-laden ones to the plain green stunners, shoppers and shopkeepers talk about the trends in Christmas trees this year.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Most parts of the City like Commercial Street, Shivajinagar and Majestic are seeing a steady stream of customers for Christmas trees and related decorative items. Suresh Kumar, the owner of a stall at VR Plaza, Commercial Street says that he has trees in many colours, from green and white to mixed themes, in sizes from two feet to 20 feet. “We have pre-decorated trees, pine trees, white trees, trees with snow tips, plain trees and even the optical fibre ones,” he says. He adds that customers have varied choices, according to office or personal purposes. “We suggest trees according to the space they want a tree for,” he says.<br /><br />The ‘Heavy Snow’ tree is one of the most popular trees among the others available at the Evergreen Christmas Centre in Safina Plaza. PS Anthony, store in-charge, says that the shop, which has been around for two decades, has its regular customers. <br /><br />“The eight-feet tree, which is available for Rs 25,700, is a grand sight in itself. There are different sizes available in this theme and it starts from Rs 3,200 for the three-feet version.” Trees which have ‘double tips’ in light and dark green are also available and popular, he says.<br /><br />Anthony vouches that the shop has “trees which are thicker and fuller”. “Our trees are known to be bushier, which make them attractive.” <br /><br />He adds the other attractions at the store include the tabletop trees which are two-feet tall. “They start from Rs 400 with different decorations like yellow bows and cherries already on them,” he says. <br /><br />Many have opted to stay away from optic fibre trees this year, says Nethra TV, owner of Kushal Indoor Garden, Jewellers Street,. “It was a trend earlier, but is diminishing as not a lot of decorations can be put on such trees. The tree cannot support much weight and looks overdone with decorations and lights on it,” she says. <br /><br />Her shop has ‘snow with pine’ trees and ‘only snow trees’. “There are trees which have decorations already on them, like the ‘pine cone cherry and snow’ tree, which looks great with minimal decor,” she says. <br /><br /> Nethra vouches that the most preferred tree is the plain tree and the ‘bottlebrush pine’ trees. “The ones with the snowy touch are also popular as they have a ‘Christmasy’ feel,” she says.<br /><br />There are shops at Raja Market and Majestic, where Christmas trees are available in different forms. Abbe Dubois RP, who works with Unisys, says that he always goes shopping to the interiors of the market, to find the perfect tree. “There are trees in sizes from two feet to 16 feet available. There are ones with branches with mixed colours on it and branches which are multi-coloured. Varied sizes of optic fibre trees are also available at the shops,” he says. Abbe adds that trees in white and green are commonly available. “Though there are many unique ones available, my family prefers the plain green tree. It has a simple and classy look and the plain tree can have more decorations on it, which always looks more special than a ready-to-use one,” says Abbe.<br /><br />Some like Radhika P, a homemaker, likes decorating the natural Christmas tree. She opts to buy the three-feet Christmas plants that are available at The Nurserymen Co-Operative Society Ltd, Lalbagh West. “It has a natural feel to it and also the plants look traditional. My family always used to decorate a natural tree, instead of the artificial ones. We make our own decorations for the tree, which adds to the whole experience,” <br />she says.<br /><br />There are many small stores and ‘bazaars’ around churches in the City that sell trees too.<br /> “During this season, one can see a lane of artifical Christmas trees and decorations, selling items from Rs 30 onwards, opposite St Mary's Basilica in Shivajinagar,” says Prabha VS, a young professional from Cox Town. <br /><br />She says that “decorating the tree is an important part of the season” and is looking forward to get together with the family and decorate. “It’s a family affair and in our house, the youngest member at home always gets to put the topmost ornament, which is an honour,” she says.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Yuletide is here and everyone is soaking in the festive spirit. With Bengalureans warming up for the holidays, it’s time to pep the house up and bring out the Christmas trees and decorations. Varying from snow-laden ones to the plain green stunners, shoppers and shopkeepers talk about the trends in Christmas trees this year.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Most parts of the City like Commercial Street, Shivajinagar and Majestic are seeing a steady stream of customers for Christmas trees and related decorative items. Suresh Kumar, the owner of a stall at VR Plaza, Commercial Street says that he has trees in many colours, from green and white to mixed themes, in sizes from two feet to 20 feet. “We have pre-decorated trees, pine trees, white trees, trees with snow tips, plain trees and even the optical fibre ones,” he says. He adds that customers have varied choices, according to office or personal purposes. “We suggest trees according to the space they want a tree for,” he says.<br /><br />The ‘Heavy Snow’ tree is one of the most popular trees among the others available at the Evergreen Christmas Centre in Safina Plaza. PS Anthony, store in-charge, says that the shop, which has been around for two decades, has its regular customers. <br /><br />“The eight-feet tree, which is available for Rs 25,700, is a grand sight in itself. There are different sizes available in this theme and it starts from Rs 3,200 for the three-feet version.” Trees which have ‘double tips’ in light and dark green are also available and popular, he says.<br /><br />Anthony vouches that the shop has “trees which are thicker and fuller”. “Our trees are known to be bushier, which make them attractive.” <br /><br />He adds the other attractions at the store include the tabletop trees which are two-feet tall. “They start from Rs 400 with different decorations like yellow bows and cherries already on them,” he says. <br /><br />Many have opted to stay away from optic fibre trees this year, says Nethra TV, owner of Kushal Indoor Garden, Jewellers Street,. “It was a trend earlier, but is diminishing as not a lot of decorations can be put on such trees. The tree cannot support much weight and looks overdone with decorations and lights on it,” she says. <br /><br />Her shop has ‘snow with pine’ trees and ‘only snow trees’. “There are trees which have decorations already on them, like the ‘pine cone cherry and snow’ tree, which looks great with minimal decor,” she says. <br /><br /> Nethra vouches that the most preferred tree is the plain tree and the ‘bottlebrush pine’ trees. “The ones with the snowy touch are also popular as they have a ‘Christmasy’ feel,” she says.<br /><br />There are shops at Raja Market and Majestic, where Christmas trees are available in different forms. Abbe Dubois RP, who works with Unisys, says that he always goes shopping to the interiors of the market, to find the perfect tree. “There are trees in sizes from two feet to 16 feet available. There are ones with branches with mixed colours on it and branches which are multi-coloured. Varied sizes of optic fibre trees are also available at the shops,” he says. Abbe adds that trees in white and green are commonly available. “Though there are many unique ones available, my family prefers the plain green tree. It has a simple and classy look and the plain tree can have more decorations on it, which always looks more special than a ready-to-use one,” says Abbe.<br /><br />Some like Radhika P, a homemaker, likes decorating the natural Christmas tree. She opts to buy the three-feet Christmas plants that are available at The Nurserymen Co-Operative Society Ltd, Lalbagh West. “It has a natural feel to it and also the plants look traditional. My family always used to decorate a natural tree, instead of the artificial ones. We make our own decorations for the tree, which adds to the whole experience,” <br />she says.<br /><br />There are many small stores and ‘bazaars’ around churches in the City that sell trees too.<br /> “During this season, one can see a lane of artifical Christmas trees and decorations, selling items from Rs 30 onwards, opposite St Mary's Basilica in Shivajinagar,” says Prabha VS, a young professional from Cox Town. <br /><br />She says that “decorating the tree is an important part of the season” and is looking forward to get together with the family and decorate. “It’s a family affair and in our house, the youngest member at home always gets to put the topmost ornament, which is an honour,” she says.<br /><br /></p>
