Feature: 6 ways how to turn your home into a Christmas Paradise

You have been looking forward to Christmas this year and your dream has been to have an "All American" Christmas celebration in your home with an African twist. With so many ways of celebrating, there's bound to be some element of confusion and panic as you prepare to receive your Christmas guests.

You'll want to start decorating your home early to help ease the pressure as you look forward to Christmas Day. You'll also enjoy your decorations longer and they will help to put you in the mood for celebrating.

Some people may consider Christmas decorating extravagant or too much of a fuss but it can be a fun activity that helps you bond with family and friends, and if you have children, the decorating process can help create lasting memories. Play some Christmas carols and serve some snacks for the kids to bite as they go along.

We asked two Nairobi women why they decorate during the Christmas holiday season.

Florence Machio, a mother of two boys says she is in it for the the fun. "My boys have absolute fun whenever we decorate the Christmas tree. So much so that they would like to do it even if it is not Christmas," she says laughing.

"The fact that they are so eager to help and celebrate the fruits of their labour is worth it. It's a tradition I would like to continue just to see the look on their faces when the Christmas lights are switched on."

Lilly Kanyingi says Christmas decorating has been a long standing family tradition in her home.

"We have always decorated the Christmas tree as a family and I must say it adds that Christmas cheer to the mood. When hosting guests at my home, from the food to the décor, everything spells Christmas and that's what it's all about, creating the perfect mood."

So, finally, everything has to be right and most of all, you want to give it your own personal touch. Before you do so, what do all these things mean? Read on.

The nativity

For many Christian families, Christmas decorating is not complete without this essential component. You can create your nativity scene with a framed picture of the scene from the Bible story with Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus lovingly set up in a stable with cows, sheep and goats, or a set of porcelain figurines.

 It's a great way to tell the story of the birth of Christ to eager young listeners. You can place it on a focal point in the living room or at the bottom of the Christmas tree.

Under the mistletoe

You've probably heard the playful Christmas jingle, "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe last night" and wondered what exactly mistletoe is. Mistletoe is a flowering plant that survives by living on and parasitising other plants. Abroad, it is mostly found on apple trees.

In American tradition, it is tied with a red bow and hung over a doorway or archway. It's supposed to bring luck to the household and is also a sign of love hence the origin of the tradition of couples kissing every time they find themselves walking under a mistletoe.

Feeling romantic? Go ahead and get yourself one. Available at House of Leather (Mombasa Road, Panari Sky Centre) for Sh300.

Surprise in the stocking

The gift sock or stocking is a bag shaped like a sock. They are usually hung on the fireplace mantle with the names of each member of the family so that "Santa Claus" can fill them with small-sized gifts during his visit down the chimney on Christmas Eve.

These gifts are called "stocking fillers". Traditionally, the stockings are red or green, but who says you have to follow the norm? How about using some left-over kitenge fabric to give it an African twist? Don't forget to lay out a plate of cookies and a glass of milk for "Santa". Available at House of Leather for Sh100.

The ornamental wreath

They are probably the most common symbols of Christmas after the Christmas tree. They are flower stems, fruits, holly leaves (the prickly green plant with its red berries) and twigs twisted into a ring.

It can be placed anywhere in the home or even outdoors but most people choose to place them on the main door, on the stair landing or above the fireplace. It's a sign of everlasting life and a symbol of strength and growth.

Don't have time to make one? You can purchase ready-made ones from your local supermarket or gift shop and the good thing is that they can be reused over and over again. Available at House of Leather for Sh1,400-2,500 and online store Jumia (www.jumia.co.ke) for Sh1,740-2,350.

The garland

It almost resembles the ornamental wreath but the difference is that the flowers (without stems), fruits and holly leaves are mounted on a rope to look like a 'string' of flowers.

You can decorate the Christmas tree or dress the stair rail or mantelpiece of your fireplace with it. Pieces of decorated garland (dried branch look) of about 50cms are available at House of Leather for Sh150.

Decorating the tree

Let us say for a minute here that you had to 'Africanise' your Christmas décor and your aim was to garner the most votes when it comes to 'who has the best tree' contest. Well how about using Maasai beads and ornaments to bag that coveted title?

They come in bright colours which will compliment the tree which happens to be dark green.

The tree: It can be as short as one foot or as high up as six metres (20 feet). Artificial trees that resemble the original pine or evergreen conifer are available in local supermarkets and can be assembled or taken down easily and stored once the celebrations are over.

Seeing as this tree is supposed to go through your door during transportation, a tree that falls between 1.5 metres (5 feet and 6 feet) will work just fine. Place it at the corner of your living or dining room where all can marvel at its beauty once it's been decorated.

PVC trees are available at House of Leather ranging from Sh500 for 4-foot-tall tree and Sh2,800 for 6-feet-tall tree. Jumia stocks a 2-foot PVC tree for Sh340 and various other sizes with the largest being 15 feet at Sh33,930. Nakumatt stocks 4 ft, 6ft and 8 ft trees at Sh1,395, Sh3,175 and Sh6,345 respectively.

The star or angel: "Star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty bright" and "Hark the herald angels sing" go the popular Christmas carol. It's no wonder that either of these two ornaments are placed at the very top of the Christmas tree.

These décor pieces were inspired by the Christmas story. The star of Bethlehem, according to the Bible, led the three wise men to the birthplace of Jesus Christ and the angels appeared to the shepherds announcing His birth. Available at House of Leather from Sh150 and Jumia for Sh160. Nakumatt stocks a star at Sh455.

Tree ornaments: Since we are keeping it Kenyan, let's go for earrings and other beaded ornaments from Maasai market in place of the usual ornaments. Try making your own ornaments by wrapping match boxes in wrapping paper and tying a ribbon or wool into a bow then hanging it on the tree using a string.

You can also hang sweets and plums...the key is to be creative and have a blast. Small ornaments are available at House of Leather for Sh150 for a pack of 12. Larger ornaments up to Sh1000 or from the bin at Sh100 for 4.

Tinsel: Tinsel may not be for everyone (it's the shiny scarf like decoration that Kenyans adorn their graduands with) but if you stick to one colour and wrap it around the tree neatly, it could cut down on the number of ornaments you will use. It is available on Jumia for Sh250 for 15cms.

The skirt: In the early years, the Christmas tree was lit using candles. Since wax and pine needles would make a mess on the floor, the skirt would be placed at the bottom of the tree so as to make cleaning easier. Nowadays, it is simply used to hide the tree stand.

You can use cotton fabric with African prints to give it that local touch or a Christmas themed plastic tablecloth at Sh200 from House of Leather.

The gifts: If you don't have actual gifts to place under the tree, don't fret. You can wrap empty shoe boxes creatively using wrapping paper, newspaper or magazine pages. Complete the look with a ribbon. You can get wrapping paper from House of Leather at 3 rolls for Sh200 and crepe paper to use as ribbon from Jumia at Sh50 for 200cms.

Back in the 17th Century, people used candles to light up their Christmas trees, which sounds like a sure-fire recipe for disaster. Lights on a tree are a breathtaking sight to behold so some people still hold on to this age-old western tradition which represents stars albeit with electric lights, which, while safer, should still be handled with utmost caution.

Keeping a live Christmas tree for months after Christmas can be fatal. The tree dries up and becomes highly flammable and can catch fire in seconds. "When those pine trees dry up they light up like fuel," says Joseph Githoro, a fire prevention officer at Nairobi Fire Service.

"Don't overdo it. Dispose of the tree once the Christmas season is over in order to be safe."

Some people also tend to skimp on expenses by using the same lights year after year even when some bulbs have fallen off or the wires are worn out. "If any short circuit occurs, that will result in a fire."

He advises Christmas tree enthusiasts to go for the miniature lights, which are far less dangerous. "Just buy the lights that you can find in most supermarkets. They are usually three to six volts, so they are very unlikely to start a fire," he says.

Eliud Maina sells Christmas trees and he advises that one should never put worn out wires on the tree. One should also avoid placing the tree near a heat source and if buying a live tree, buy a well-watered tree.

You can test this by folding one of the needles of the tree. It should bend, not break, if it is not dry. The tree must also be continually watered while in the house.

"You shouldn't leave any electrical installation on while going to sleep," says Githoro, advising people to take the same precautions as they do with other electrical devices. "Switch off the socket that it is connected to and preferably unplug it," he says.