Its beginning to sound a lot like Independence Day?

The smells and sounds of the holiday season are upon us here in Split, Croatia. Although it feels like November, it certainly sounds like the 4th of July. One of the ways we celebrate Christmas here, is to set off firecrackers for about, oh I don't know, three or four months around December 25th. Generally, it seems to be something that is done mainly by adolescent boys (go figure). And I mentioned the smells.....chestnuts roasting on an open fire is not just a good song lyric, but it is quite the norm around the palace area in the centre of town where street vendors sell them to holiday shoppers (hey, it sounded good when I wrote it). Although I may not be hearing Christmas carols and smelling the aroma of my mom's homemade pumpkin bread baking in the oven, the Christmas season is definitely in the air.