Austin's Christmas tree is lit!

Will and I just got home from Zilker Park (Austin's city park) where once again, for the 47th consecutive year: the city's Christmas tree was lit!

When we arrived at 6pm, before the sun had set

As we were leaving at 8.30pm

It was kind of a magical experience, standing in the crowd inside of the enormous base of the tree, amongst Austinites, surrounded by Christmas cheer, smelling the cocoa and funnel cakes as they wafted gently through the air.  A band played and children sang carols and I caught myself on occasion singing along as I got lost in the moment and charm of it all.

The mayor talked about the history of the Zilker tree, gave introductions and explained how the whole thing is put up and operated, then without much further formality (Austin's great in that way!) every surrounding light was extinguished and we counted down from 10 when the tree was magnificently ignited - sending every one of its 3,300 light-bulbs ablaze!

The Zilker Park Christmas tree and band 

View from where we were standing, inside the tree

Now that we're home, I feel connected to Austin: like I was part of a great moment in its life and am now in on a marvelous secret.  Christmas-cheer is a term that's taken lightly when you're older, it's reduced to something you hear in a children's cartoon or cheesy Christmas movies but I know that every kid from the western side of the world has felt that intense merriment that only comes with Christmastime!  It fills you with warmth and a joy that radiates all through you!

Sadly, Christmas stops being so magical as you get older: when you start see and understand all the pretend things your parents did for you to make it special then you move out and have to decorate and pay for everything yourself which quickly diminishes the enchanted properties... but tonight I found that the key to Christmas cheer in adulthood is being part of a community gathering, signing carols together, wearing goofy antlers and earrings... I secretly filled with glee every time I caught myself signing along and now I feel happier, less lonely, closer to Austin and full of Christmas cheer!

Not the best pic of me, but it's the only one I had

The stalls at the base of the tree where all the delicious smells were coming from

Flags on every pole

So many bulbs