Explosions Galore

It appears there are fewer people in Munich now that it's between the holidays. However, that doesn't apply to the sound levels as many of those remaining are shooting off fireworks around the clock. Right now, it's 12:14 a.m. and I hear explosions all around me.

Since German's don't have a 4th of July celebration, they save their popping sensibilities for the beginning of the New Year. Everybody from grocery stores to boutique shops sell fireworks - and not just the small kind. I'm talking airborne rockets, mountainous fountains and spiraling canons. And because I don't want to be left behind come midnight on New Year's Eve, I bought what we Kansans call a Saturn Missle to be launched when the clock strikes 12.

I only wish others shared my enthusiasm for lighting up on the appropriate holiday and not at 12:16 a.m. on a Saturday night. I haven't been able to sleep since returning to Munich - and the fireworks don't help. So, it looks like it's going to be a long few days with no sleep and explosions galore.

One for the Non-Smokers

With just four days until a no-smoking ban blankets Chicago, France and parts of Germany, articles are starting to hit the media about the impact the new rules and regulations have on cultural affairs. What I find ironic is a quote by one smoker from France. "Great idea," smoker Daniel Marierouyer, 45, said sarcastically at Le Fumoir. "I love it when things get imposed on us -- Buckle your seat beat, don't smoke, you need to be healthy, you're too fat." Funny how he doesn't see his smoking as imposing his habit on those around him.

Sick as a Dog

Apparently the queasy feeling I was experiencing yesterday wasn't related to jet lag or the overindulgence of Ambien as I was under the weather today. As a result, we canceled our ski trip to Innsbruck. The last thing I wanted to do was go speeding down a snow covered hill just as my lunch was rushing back up.

It's 2:49 a.m. and I can't sleep - which is frustrating considering I was SO TIRED all day. And with us leaving tomorrow to ski, I need all the rest I can get. I don't want to run into a tree because of sleep deprivation. But because I can't sleep, I have time to post Club Fridays. So my loss is your gain!

I watched the revived show Fame a few years back. Apparently, Lauren Hildebrandt was one of the finalists. According to her Myspace page, she was one in the top 12 finalists. But it wasn't until she burst onto the dance scene in 2005 with Liquid 360's Burnin' Out that she started getting noticed by the American public - especially the gays. Since then, she's charted with the dance single Dance with You and been nominated as the "Best New Dance Artist" at the International Dance Music Awards in Miami. She's now back in 2007 with her latest My Life Again. The song is available at beatport.com in a domestic CD single, but not as a download. So, to get you familiar with her work and hopeful inclusion on iTunes, check out the best mix of the bunch by Lenny B by going here. It's kept me going on in the gym for more than two weeks now - never getting old.

Away on Holiday

Back from one, time for another! And since I'm not sure if I'll have internet access where we're stying in Innsbruck, Austria for skiing this weekend, consider this my posting until Sunday, December 30th. Not exciting, I know. But with jet lag setting in, I'm not in the mood for much of anything. Here's to hoping I sleep tonight. If not, Club Fridays may find its way on the internet after all.

Groggy in Munich

Today I proved more isn't necessarily better. Since one Ambien doesn't work, I decided to take two on my trip from Chicago to Munich. A few hours after my pill popping mistake, I woke-up with run-around-the-block syndrome (just as the name implies). Three hours after that, I began to get nauseous - thinking I'd finally have to use the vomit bag. Sadly, it's taken me all day to recover.

My return trips have always been bad. But this time, my intercontinental excursion was been unbearable. Combine that with my travel day from hell on Saturday and you can understand why I "love to fly."

What Not 2 Do

I needed to find my cousin, who's a 5th grader, a present. So, I thought it would be a good idea to wander around Wal-mart to find someone her age to ask their opinion of gift baskets on display. Wrong. The first girl I approached and asked, "Can I ask you a question?", quickly replied "NO!" and ran away. I'm sure I looked like a creepy old guy asking not if she could help me find a gift but rather, "Do you want a lollipop little girl?"

PTT Advent Calendar Dec. 24!

The origins of the Advent calendar come from German Lutherans who, at least as early as the early 19th century, counted down the days until the celebration of the Nativity of Christ with chalk outlines on doors starting December 1.

The first known Advent calendar was handmade in 1851 with the first printed calendar appearing in 1902 in Hamburg. But it wasn't until 1908 that Gerhard Lang of Munich made 24 little colored pictures that attached to a piece of cardboard. Soon after, he created a calendar outfitted with 24 doors that could be opened one day at a time - the birth of today's modern advent calendar. Today, most advent calendars are made for children. But who says adults can't have a little fun too? From that, Pink Trash Travels will be counting down the days until Christmas - featuring all those items the Pink Trash Traveler would like to find in his stocking. Some naughty. Some nice. But all fun!

December 1 - Spirit by Leona Lewis
December 2 - Rusty Joiner
December 3 - Burgermeister Meisterburger
December 4 - Chipotle Chicken Burrito
December 5 - DNA Subscription
December 6 - Moncler Vin Coat
December 7 - Pushing Daisies
December 8 - Brad Womack - ABC's The Bachelor
December 9 - Stone White 2008 Jeep Rubicon
December 10 - Entenmann's Chocolate Fudge Cake
December 11 - Marco Dapper
December 12 - Chex Original Party Mix
December 13 - Sebastian Moura
December 14 - Rapidough
December 15 - Nintendo Wii
December 16 - Jason Cameron
December 17 - Lacoste Vintage Pique Polo
December 18 - Carol's Cookies
December 19 - Beowolf
December 20 - Patagonia Full Moon Jacket
December 21 - Shayne Ward's Breathless
December 22 - Eddie Cibrian
December 23 - A Job
December 24 - A House Filled with 23 Days of Advent - Especially Rusty!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I love going to Wal-mart in middle America. It's fun roaming the aisles of the discount supercenter while intensely looking and listening to everything and everybody around you. The hairstyles. The clothes. The words spoken by Wal-mart shoppers. Priceless.

Denver Live! Oh So Close

I've made my way to Denver. And, it appears we're scheduled to leave on a 10:10 flight out to Wichita. So, I may make it to Kansas just 16 hours after leaving my front door this morning. If only my luggage was that lucky. It appears to be sitting in Chicago. If it doesn't make it on a plane out tonight, then I'll have to hang around Wichita tomorrow until it arrives. Because if I wait for United to deliver it, my German Stollen will be hard as a rock.

On the bright side, I've been fortunate in one regard - avoiding stupid conversations with those traveling around me. I must be radiating "Do I look like I care?" Perfect. Because I'm not in the mood to discuss the size of their popcorn box or new camera features.

At Wit's End

Because I have HOURS to kill while waiting in Chicago (and eventually in Denver), I thought I'd download from iTunes the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Well, it looks like it's going to take over 7 hours to download. Boo!

Chicago Live! - Hangin' at the Port

It was bound to happen. I’ve never hit a major bump in the road (or should I say air) when traveling. Fortunately, whenever I've been delayed, the annoyance has been small. Well, today I’m accumulating one set-back after another.

For starters, my 11:55 a.m. flight to Wichita, Kansas was cancelled – and so were the subsequent two flights on some dippy airline not operated by United. So, they rerouted me through to Denver - finally arriving in Wichita around midnight tonight. My luggage, however, may not land until tomorrow as the only flight to Wichita this evening from Chicago may be overstuffed with 90 bags from the cancelled flights. Besides that, who knows if even my flight from Denver will arrive as planned? I’ll say this much, I have no plans to sleep on a cot in Colorado.

I’ve booked a hotel at the Wichita airport – a Holiday Inn Express that was built in 2007. I’m not expecting much. But, since it’s new, I hope it’s at least clean. This way, when I hopefully arrive past midnight, I won’t be forced to drive one and a half hours to Salina for my hotel check-in. And, if for some reason my luggage doesn’t arrive until Sunday morning, then I’ll have the opportunity to wait and collect my luggage rather than hope United delivers it by Christmas. I can’t show up with flat and unruly hair.

You’d think today’s activities, combined with my rental car’s smashed side view mirror fiasco (yes, once again I’m cursed in Chicago), I’d be more bitter than sour lemon. However, I’m surprisingly calm. I guess I’m considering it one more adventure to write home about.

A few weeks back I promised you Justin Timberlake's duet with Beyonce. However, the dance links to Until the End of Time disappeared. Well, now they're back - and they've multiplied! So, this week I'm including two of the best versions out their. The first is by Johnny Vicious and DJ Escape. They've been featured numerous times on Club Fridays. For the link to their more intense version, go here. Jason Nevins usually hovers his remixes around 133 beats per minute. However, for his take on Justin's song, he slows it down a bit - making it more pop oriented. For the link go here.

Finally, the last track this week is by Kelly Rowland. Her solo efforts seem to hover around the middle of the charts - never quite breaking through. In Europe, she's released Work. And to ensure the track gets played in the clubs, she enlisted the Freemasons who have done wonderful interpretations of Beyonce's music including Ring the Alarm. For the Freemasons remix of Work, go here.

And considering this is the last Club Fridays until the 25th, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Until next week, travel well and be safe.

Lakeview's Papa Smurf

No matter what gym you go to, there will be that ONE person, or two, or three, that drives you crazy. Yesterday, at Lincoln Park Athletic Club in Chicago, there was a man dressed like Papa Smurf. He wore a red stocking cap, blue sweatshirt and matching red shoes. He ran around, jumping up and down, singing to his iPod. Besides that, he lifted so improperly I thought he'd pop a groin muscle. When he dropped the weights towards his last set, I glanced over at him with disapproval - hopefully sending a message that all his noise wasn't necessary.

Chicago Live!

I wasn't quite sure if today I wanted to go to the movies. But, after my workout, the desire returned. So, I stopped by Subway, grabbed a sandwich and chips, and headed out for the cinema for a 1:40 showing of Enchanted. It's one of my favorite activities - afternoon movie watching with lunch in hand. The flick didn't disappoint - and neither did my sandwich. Though, it was a bit salty. But my 32 oz. Diet Coke washed it down nicely!

Chicago Live!

I've got to admit, after being in the suburbs yesterday, I started to rethink our return to Chicago. Not that we'd live in the land of baby strollers and Christmas sweaters. But looking around, I was bothered by all stupidity I saw - and heard (there is coolness to be found - just not around most corners). Besides that, it just seemed that everything was so average. As I told Chris on the phone while I rode the escalator to the second floor in Nordstrom, "I don't think I can be surrounded by all of this."

Chicago Live!

I'm back in Chicago for a few days before departing for Kansas on Saturday. And besides time with friends, I'm looking forward to eating for the next seven days as I'm off my diet. It's Fat Girl Week. So, I plan on shoveling in everything from Mexican to donuts to pizza (and working off as much as I can at the gym). I'm civalized after all.

Family Christmas Traditions

On Christmas Eve, Santa would arrive at my grandparents house early in the evening. First we'd hear sleigh bells, then a knock on the door. We'd always try to catch him by hiding in the bushes outside or waiting at the window. But when we did, Santa never showed. It wasn't until we'd turn away that he would appear with a bag of presents he'd leave on the doorstep.

New & Noteworthy - Cascada's Last Christmas

I love the original. But Cascada's take on Wham's Last Christmas is a joyous romp around the Christmas tree. Check out the video below.

Pickle Fallacy

Last week, I made note of Germany's "Hide the Pickle" tradition. Well, after having dinner on Saturday with a few from Deutschland, this game of hide-and-seek apparently isn't as popular with the Germans as I once thought. Actually, they didn't even know what it was. So, it seems Americans are popularizing hiding the pickle on Christmas Eve - nobody else!

Family Christmas Traditions

Because my brothers and I were too nosey around Christmas, my mom began numbering all the packages under the tree. To this day, she keeps the master list. Then, on Christmas, she unravels the mystery one package at a time.

What I Find Funny

This is a letter Chris recently forwarded to United. I think it's quite humorous.

Dear United –

I can’t believe I am sending you another letter about the terrible condition I experienced with your aircraft. Once again, the crew was fantastic, and was very apologetic, but the interior of the plane itself was awful. It looked very worn and tired – and I was in First Class (who knows what others were experiencing!). The carpet in the aisle was frayed in too many spots to count and had loose strings all over. The suites themselves were all banged up, very worn and mine was being held together in several spots with duck tape – very classy. I had to use my blanket to cover my seat with all of the unknown stains on the cushion – especially since it folds down to be my bed. If I was in a hotel, I would have left if my bed or furniture had so many visible stains on it. And, once again, my personal video player was not working properly and channel 2 was not working for the entire plane! This is crazy, for international flights, the entertainment equipment should be in top shape and working order – it really impacts your experience.

Maybe I now see more differences since I have been flying Lufthansa moree due to me living in Europe over the last year. I have never experienced any of these issues with them – their international planes are well kept, up to date, and a totally different traveling experience. I am embarrassed for you.

I hope the rollout of the new business and first suites come quick, otherwise I don’t see how you can compete.

I want to remain a loyal flyer, but at this rate, you are quickly loosing my confidence. I don’t like to gamble in general, so I don’t want to always wonder if all the features on my flight will be working or not and in good condition. It should be a no brainer.

Once again, if it wasn’t for the crew, I would be limiting my choice to fly with United.

Just thought you should know!

Sincerely,

Chris Young

Why We Love Dennis

Our cat Dennis usually gets the shaft in terms of attention on the blog. So consider this his moment to shine on Pink Trash Travels. Who says you need to buy cats expensive toys when bread ties are just as fun? Check out Dennis the Cat below.

Crunchy X-mas Tree

After just two weeks, our Christmas tree is dead. I'm not sure why however. It might be because the stump was shaved around the sides - allowing for moisture to escape (even though the base was submerged in water). Either way, it's more crunchy than KFC Popcorn Chicken.

That stint with the Pussycat Dolls sure gave Ralphi Rosario a boost in the dance community. Over the past few years, he's been on a roll working with the best. This week, his production of Matchbox 20's How Far We've Come makes the list of must-haves for the week. For the link, go here. And though I've grown tired of all the news regarding Britney, her album over the past few weeks has grown on me. I'd say there's probably five or six tracks, all original versions, that I love - especially Toy Soldier. I'm not sure why the record execs chose to release Piece of Me as the second single (it's one of the weakest on Blackout). But at least Bimbo Jones "first out of the gate" remix makes it come together. For the link, go here.

The Golden Compass - Aunt Linda Review

In the words of Aunt Linda from Saturday Night Live, "What? This movie was one convoluted mess. A compass reading girl at boarding school left to wander, meeting Gypsies, encountering fighting polar bears, trying to figure out the meaning of dust? I'm 56 and I could barely follow along. And many story elements didn't seem to have their place - just thrown against the wall like a wacky wall climber. And just like the 80's toy, it went downhill fast! Eeeeh Gah! And they want to make two more? They might want to consult the Golden Compass for the answer. I'm thinking it will say, (as well as the financial backers of the first $200M disaster)...NO!"

Random Thoughts 4 Today

I don't know the last time I've seen the sun. It's been cold and raining here in Munich for days. Where's the blue Bavarian sky? I'm going to see The Golden Compass this evening - even though it tanked in America. I'm excited to take a sandwich, chips, a few M & Ms and a Coke Zero, sit in the balcony, and enjoy the show. I get my haircut tomorrow. I'm contemplating cutting it all off - again. But, most likely, I'll keep growing it out to get the 70's shag I'm targeting. I have a lead on a job in America. The problem is I'm not sure if it's really what I want to do. I truly just want a job that I love (I know, it's rare). Is finding one related to entertainment too much to ask in Chicago? I mean, I'm an entertainment whore. Who wouldn't want that on their staff?

Regensburg Christmas Market

If I don't make my way to the gym, I get fairly bored - quickly. So on Sunday, since I'm now forcing myself to take at least one day off from the gym per week, I needed a plan to keep myself from going stir crazy. As a result, Maddie and I jumped in the car and drove 1 1/2 hours to Regensburg to see another Christmas Market.

The drive was nice as I never get to listen to CDs in the car. So I jammed out to Kylie, Girls Aloud, Britney and my new favorite, Shayne Ward. Besides that, I enjoyed a cheeseburger, small fry, triple chocolate chip cookie and Coke Light from McDonald's - it was Fat Girl Sunday after all.

The Regensburg Christmas market was similar to others we've seen over the past few weeks (overcrowded alleyways filled with locals drinking Gluewein). What was a standout, however, was Regensburg itself. The 2000 year-old city was left intact from Allied air raids in WWII so the medieval city center is quite impressive. Unfortunately, many of the quaint shops were closed. But this unfortunate result of us going on a Sunday only means Maddie and I will return with Chris in the near future - possibly on our way to Nurnberg next Sunday for what will be our last Christmas market before the holidays.

David Beckham 4 Giorgio Armani

Because of this ad for Giorgio Armani underwear, David should make the PTT Advent Calendar. But is it real? I've never seen David look this fit, trim and muscular in photos. He's a thin soccer player (oh, the wonders of airbrushing). That doesn't stop the me from appreciating the fantasy however.

Another Holiday Classic

Before you watch the classic Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid, let me make a few observations:

Why does everyone look like they just got out of bed?
The mullet back then was bigger than I thought.
I wonder if George Michael was eying Sting? He's kind of hot.
Was Jody Watley British?
Bananarama must have really loved "scrunchies."

Holiday 101

There's an old German tradition of hiding a pickle ornament in the Christmas tree. The first child on Christmas Eve to find the Christmas pickle receives an extra gift. How fun is that? I've now got to find myself a German pickle ornament this week.

Out & About In Munich

With Chris out of town, last night I ventured out with our friends Mark, Greg and Wenzel to the Pink Christmas Market. Yes, it's gay. It wasn't so much the traditional market as it's an excuse to drink Gluewein in the cold while listening to Caribbean music.

It's there that I had my first cup of spiked wine. The festive drink isn't so bad. As a result, I had five. If not, I might have frozen.

From there we continued the night at Asian-inspired restaurant Moritz (where my "special friend" from the gym works). He's not the reason we went but rather we were hungry and cold - and it was the closest (well, not really but the food was a better option than Selig's up the street). Unfortunately, it was smoky (big surprise). But, I barely commented on the disgusting environment. Instead, I enjoyed myself with the company as my head filled with second hand smoke.

Today, I felt the remnants of my evening fun - not from the wine but rather the (yes, you guessed it) smoke at Moritz. I sounded like Brenda Vaccaro this morning. And when I awoke, I vowed last night will be the last time in Munich that I go out in a smoky environment (but it should be as ban starts in just over three weeks). I can hardly wait (have I noted that enough?)

Holiday 101

It's been written that the image of Santa Clause stems largely from the pen of Thomas Nast, the 19th century political cartoonist who was born in Lindau, Germany. His drawings in Harper's Weekly established a rotund Santa with flowing beard, fur garments, and an omnipresent clay pipe.

Smurfs Christmas Special

My posting of Wham's Last Christmas and accompanying items a few weeks back sparked some internet searches - especially those relating to the Smurfs Christmas Special. So for those of you who want to relive childhood memories, take a short break and visit Fanpop's site for the full episode.

The origins of the Advent calendar come from German Lutherans who, at least as early as the early 19th century, counted down the days until the celebration of the Nativity of Christ with chalk outlines on doors starting December 1.

The first known Advent calendar was handmade in 1851 with the first printed calendar appearing in 1902 in Hamburg. But it wasn't until 1908 that Gerhard Lang of Munich made 24 little colored pictures that attached to a piece of cardboard. Soon after, he created a calendar outfitted with 24 doors that could be opened one day at a time - the birth of today's modern advent calendar.

Today, most advent calendars are made for children. But who says adults can't have a little fun too? From that, Pink Trash Travels will be counting down the days until Christmas - featuring all those items the Pink Trash Traveler would like to find in his stocking. Some naughty. Some nice. But all fun!

December 1 - Spirit by Leona Lewis
December 2 - Rusty Joiner
December 3 - Burgermeister Meisterburger
December 4 - Chipotle Chicken Burrito
December 5 - DNA Subscription
December 6 - Moncler Vin Coat
December 7 - Pushing Daisies

I wasn't sure who to feature on this week's Club Fridays. I almost put the posting out for a vote. Radio fare or club hits? After much thought, I decided to go both ways. So, up first, is the latest by Nicole Scherzinger remixed by Ralphi Rosario and Craig J. She didn't have much luck with her first single outside of the PCD. Baby Love, the second single, tanked as well (so much in fact the record company decided to withhold her full album until spring so she could return to the studio to create more radio friendly tunes). But that didn't stop Ralphi and Craig J from producing something quite spectacular for the dancefloor. For the link Baby Love (Ralphi and Craig J Mix), go here.

Next is Ashley Tisdale's He Said, She Said. If you're older than 15, you might not know who she is (or, maybe you do if you rented High School Musical like I did just for curiosity reasons). The single never gained traction on radio (MTV yes, radio no), but DJ Gomi's remix caught the attention of this beat loving music fan. For the link, go here.

Holiday 101

It's been told the Christmas tree arose from the medieval German custom of draping evergreen branches in the home with sausages and apples.

Circus Crazy

Since we've moved here in June, I'm fairly certain there's been a circus in town every week. I'm not sure why, but the German's seem to love the big tent. And right now, Munich has gone circus crazy as I see advertisements all over town for the spectacles. Maybe it's the clowns. After all, Ronald is very popular here as well.

What I Find Funny

In sinus medicine commercials now airing in the UK, when referring to nasal congestion, they mention "snot." Now when have you ever heard in America anybody referring to "snot" in a television commercial.

PTT Advent Calendar Dec. 6

The origins of the Advent calendar come from German Lutherans who, at least as early as the early 19th century, counted down the days until the celebration of the Nativity of Christ with chalk outlines on doors starting December 1.

The first known Advent calendar was handmade in 1851 with the first printed calendar appearing in 1902 in Hamburg. But it wasn't until 1908 that Gerhard Lang of Munich made 24 little colored pictures that attached to a piece of cardboard. Soon after, he created a calendar outfitted with 24 doors that could be opened one day at a time - the birth of today's modern advent calendar.

Today, most advent calendars are made for children. But who says adults can't have a little fun too? From that, Pink Trash Travels will be counting down the days until Christmas - featuring all those items the Pink Trash Traveler would like to find in his stocking. Some naughty. Some nice. But all fun!

December 1 - Spirit by Leona Lewis
December 2 - Rusty Joiner
December 3 - Burgermeister Meisterburger
December 4 - Chipotle Chicken Burrito
December 5 - DNA Subscription
December 6 - Moncler Vin Coat

It's All Because of the Gays

The right wing activists have always said that gays getting married, or gays in general, would bring down society. Here's a video that pokes fun at all that silliness. Thanks for link Teresa!

Dave's Faves - Krapfen

In America, we call them doughnuts. In Munich, Bavarians call them Krapfen. Made from sweet yeast dough, fried, filled with jam or custard, and topped with icing, powdered sugar or chocolate, these tasty treats are quite popular around Christmas. I prefer my Krapfen filled with custard. Which made me wonder,"Is this where Dunkin Donuts got the idea for Bavarian Creme doughnuts?"

Outbid on Ebay

I never use Ebay. But when I decided I wanted a vintage Elf like my mom bought back in 1966, I thought the internet auction site would be the ideal place to find and hopefully buy a piece of history.

Well, it's 4:04 a.m. and I was just outbid for my 1950s Union Blow Mold 23" Lighted Elf. When I began the bidding process, the plastic Santa's helper was just $25. It sold for $163. Someone named "PMF" swooped in at the last minute and bought it. Oh well. I guess there's always next year. I mean, I wouldn't have been able to even use the cute little guy until Christmas 2008. But you never know what will be available. Time to go back to bed.

Hair Barrettes 4 Men?

Because my hair is now long enough to poke me in the eyes, I'm resorting back to wearing hair barrettes at home. But, the bigger problem is at the gym (or out in public for that matter). Which makes me pose the question, "Why can't men wear barrettes?" If David Beckham wore two stylish pieces that held back his bangs, he's be praised for his accessory choice - sparking an onslaught of jewelry makers to rush to manufacture duplicates. If I, however, were to wear them in public (as I tried to in Ibiza but was shot down before leaving the hotel), I'd be ridiculed. Harumph!

Augsburg Christmas Market

Today, after the gym, we traveled 40 minutes to Augsburg for our fourth Christmas Market since living in Europe. In terms of ranking the small German city's annual festivities, Augsburg takes the prize for last place.

Of course, Augsburg's Christmas Market sold Gluhwein (gloo-vine), or mulled warm wine. There was also candied nuts, wax candles, and glass ornaments. But what we didn't find were booths selling more interesting crafts - those items we haven't seen before. So in just one hour, we were back in the car returning home. Not that we minded the excursion. There's nothing else to do on Sunday.

Advent Wreaths

We've been seeing Germans snatch-up these ugly wreaths with four candles over the past few days. The sometimes wreaths, sometimes twigs scattered in a rectangle plastic or metal tray, are Advent wreaths, with four candles, that Christians light during the four weeks leading up to Christmas. All I know is they are ugly and cheap looking.