I just came across a newish community called Introduce Your City (IYC) recently. The community is about you telling people about your hometown, what it's like through your eyes. That's a bit different from a travel post, but if your post has a travel angle, you are welcome to pin it on Pinmapple as well 😊. IYC is managed by @freedomprepper and @beeber, two relatively new Hivers. It's great to see new accounts, finding their feet in the ecosystem, engaging and building their network, then branching out to build and contribute to the chain. We definitely need more new blood like them to keep Hive growing.
Anyway, back to my post. The Introduce Your City community runs frequent contest, the latest one being Christmas (and other religious holidays) which closes on 23rd December. You can find out more about it in this post.
My current home city is London in UK, one of the most famous and cosmopolitan cities in the world - of course I would say that about it! I went out last week, just as omricon was blowing up in UK. It was a little risky I know, but I really wanted to experience the London Christmas spirit after a couple of horrible years. I'm glad I did, as this selection of photos of Christmas in London is perfect for this post.
First stop, Trafalgar Square, London's most famous square. It has been a tradition every year since 1947 for Norway to gift a Christmas tree to us. It is to thank Britain for our support during the second world war to help defend them. This is a lovely gesture and a demonstration of the long lasting friendship between the two countries. I know it's rude to complain about gifts you receive, but this year's tree is a little sparse. Just look both the left side. Some said the fleas have eaten it, and some even said is an 'anaemic’ gift.
Next stop, Covent Garden, another popular tourist location in London. They say the 55ft tree is the tallest hand picked Christmas tree in London. The fact they specify hand picked Christams tree, probably means it's not as tall as the one in Trafralgar Square otherwise they could have just said it's the tallest in London. Isn't it great how people always have to find a way to say I'm the XXXest 😊. Nevertheless, this is a stunning tree, and it's a lot more christmassy than the one at Trafalgar Square.
The Apple Market next to the tree is the craft market at Covent Garden but the stalls had closed when I arrived quite late at night. The entrance was beautiful, and very festive with the massive baubles and Christmas decorations.
Seven Dials is a short walk away from Covent Garden. The monument you see in the centre is the Sundial Pillar, and there are seven streets surrounding it hence Seven Dials. Although there isn't a Christmas tree here, the Christmas decoration was very enchanting. I love how there was a halo above the Sundial Pillar, and the trees around it were all lit up like gold sparks. This is probably my favourite location out of the places.
Carnaby Street is a hip and young shopping area in London and their Christmas decoration takes on a different stance from the traditional. The theme is kaleidoscope butterflies with over 600 colourful neon 3D butterflies flying overhead. When the lights shone onto them, it felt like butterfly angels bringing Christmas to us. It was a Saturday late afternoon, and Carnaby Street was quite crowded. There was a lovely vibe, despite omricon hanging over our head amidst the butterflies. I'm not sure if it will still be so crowded now.
Last and not the least Regent Street and Picadilly Circus, the heart of London. Regent Street always puts on a majestic Christmas show apart from some years ago, they went all mental and put up some random non Christmas related lights. Why, you ask? Because some people got offended with the religious nature of the angels and santa claus, so the organisers decided to do a non Christmas theme Christmas light decorations. Although I'm not religious myself, personally I think it went all bonkers that year. This year's is really stunning, the angels were out again welcoming everyone.
No London secenery would be complete without the iconic red double decker bus dashing through the snow across the busy capital.
I hope you enjoyed the tour of Christmas in London, the best city in the world!!!! 🇬🇧
Let me know which was your favourite place!!!
Wow
Mind blowing christmas design
London is definitely a place to be, though I've never been they but I've always fascinated the Beauty of North London as an Arsenal FC fans.
bonus points for being a gooners as my husband is a fan as well!!
Iconic red bus with angels above make the London mood for me, people enjoying the sights and sounds before being told to go underground (stay indoors)... 😉
Have fun over the festive season, thanks for sharing!
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Wow, the angels are stunning, so beautiful 😍
Also, thank you for letting us know about this community, Introduce Your City. I didn't know about it until reading right now your post. Seems interesting and this contest is a nice one too. Thank you @livinguktaiwan :)
You're welcome @mipiano, it's a great way to see Christmas around the world. Thanks for dropping by
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Hehe, I think this is a climatic change tree ;-) they now leave the beautiful ones in the woods ;-)
Thank you so much dear @linvinguktaiwan for these great impressions. I was wondering its been a long long time, I've seen so many people on the street.
And of course I love those Angels. Have to tag @dreemsteem look! the pink fairy is in London at the moment :-)
I have to confess, I edited the pink fairy, the original one is in the post 😊
This was just last weekend and things omricon has escalated quite a lot over these few days. Rather sad to be honest. Hope things are well your end.
Regent Street is my fav out of the options here, I like angels 😁 But what happened here:
When, why? 😮
Good shout out to a new community!
Since April this year, I moved from Weston to Surrey which is the place I was renting out when I was in Taiwan. But I just sold that now, and will be moving out next Monday. I got about 10 days notice to move as the buyer said if we don't complete before xmas (my plan was to drag it out till after the new year) she will pull out!! So we will be nomadding around in Premier Inns till my new place is ready in probably a months time. Should be an interesting month with Christmas and omricon etc. Been checking out what places are open on Christmas day so we won't starve, luckily there seem to be quite a few options 😊
Ahhh, makes sense now 😀 Congratulations on the sale! The market is so crazy right now. My friends have been stuck in a chain since July...
Shame you have to sit in the hotels for so long.
That's good!
Wow, London is so beautiful during the holidays 😍 I went in 2008, a long time ago. I think it was Summer when I went 🤔
Summer is an awesome time to come, just strolling along the River Thames and seeing everything is awesome!! You must come back sometime!!
I don't know. I have been inside Buckingham Place for Christmas. 😎
but this is a nice one.
I saw the similar scene on TV news yesterday.
Wow !! How did that happen?
sorry, missed the "not" after the "have".
It's a nice community. I just subscribed and will have a few posts about the places I've lived. London's X-mas decorations are vibrant, and I love all the places you've photographed. Particularly, Carnaby Street has caught my attention with its 600 neon 3D butterflies flying overhead.🤗
What's Christmas like in Da Nang? Hope you will share with us as well!
The Carnaby Street decorations is organized with a charity who focus on helping refugees I think, particularly since it's quite a big problem for UK (along with all the other problems we have 😅 ). We get boat loads from middle east/afica who all want to come to UK instead of staying in Europe and they still come across the rough English Channel in this weather in a little dingy. The butterflies were supposed to represent transformation, new life or something like that....
X-mas is usually not a big celebration in our town, but we have some decorations up. I will definitely go around to take the photos when the weather gets better. I find it difficult to go out when the Rai Typhoon is bringing heavy rains these days.
I really appreciate knowing what the street decoration and butterflies symbolize.
Thank you and I wish you a joyous holiday season. @livinguktaiwan
Excellent. I always like seeing more of London. We want to go once covid gets sorted (if it ever does lol) so I like seeing the different places, to get some ideas.
The lights at Seven dials are amazing along with that Angel. I imagine that to be much nicer than the non-religious and Christmas themed lights lol. I'm invisioning a bunch of disco balls and red siren 🚨 lights hahaha. Club theme 😆
The tradition of Norway giving a tree is nice.
Seven Dials was certainly very nice, although there was a fair amount of traffic, they went very slow around the pillar, so lots of people were standing on the streets or by the pillar to get a 360 degree photo, which again slows down the traffic!!!
Hows the Christmas vibe in your neck of the woods?
We are in a very small town. There is a pretty decent display of lights in one spot but it's nothing like you see in the bigger decorated cities
What a fun community. Thanks for showing us Christmas in London, through your eyes. Both of those trees are huge. That is really cool to learn about the gift of the tree from Norway. I like all the lights on the trees in Seven Dials.
That's my favourite as well Sara.
The community is an interesting one, and I think given we can't travel now, it's a great way to showcase our own city.
Wow, those look really beautiful. That is pretty funny how they use semantics to make it sound a lot better than it probably is! I hope I can make it across the pond one day with my wife to visit. So many great things I have seen over there through peoples posts on Hive.
Like, " I'm the biggest whale 🐳 on Hive who resides in the two continents Taiwan and UK" Sounds so good doesn't it 😅
Maybe the next HF in London? Be great to see everyone!!!
That would be awesome! I would totally try to attend that one!
wowwwwwwwww
I really like that angel
It's gorgeous
And just looking at all your pics - it's a good time to be in the UK... I'm thinking ;D
mmmm... not sure about a good time to be in the UK, our covid cases are shooting up but fortunately, the death cases are going the other way.
Take care!!!
Thank you for showing us the community. It's another thing to learn about a place from someone who grew up there or lives there. Depending on what you call home:) london looks really beautiful, i think i need to go there in christmas time next year:)
I think the best way to learn about a place is from the locals, especially if they show you the bits which visitors don't know about.
Come on over to London, and UK!!! I'm sure you'll love it
yes that's right! i will next year for sure, i want to get around a lot with the europaticket, so london will surely be on my travel too :)
The Apple market is not bad, it looks very colorful and neat.
But I love the fact that I can be welcomed by an angel more😍😍
The angels are certainly a very welcoming sight
This is beautiful nice to see people a little more relaxed despite the situations, I am thinking of going to Bangkok city for Christmas, I hear it very lively and colorful this year were it hasn't been the past two years love to see that.
Amazing place. Gorgeous photography!
Glad the angels are back this year. And I am not religious either, but to each celebration its due. People who do not celebrate it should just ignore what they see around, or move to a place more in tune with their religious tastes.
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