Ring in Christmas with 50-foot-tall tree, handmade candycans

Christmas is round the corner and the milling crowd inside Raave’s Evergreen, a visibly enchanting store in Egmore that boasts of imported Christmas trees and brightly coloured decorations, is proof enough that the countdown has truly begun. One of the first stores in the city to sell Christmas merchandise, Raave’s that was opened in 1996 has been updating its collection every year. 

“This time around, we have trees from the size of 2 feet to as tall as 50 feet, ranging from Rs 400 to Rs 45,000. And all these trees can be dismantled and fit into a compact box to ensure ease of movement and installation,” says the owner SP Selvaraj. 

The advent of technology has enabled Christmas trees to be built in a wide range of materials ranging from plastic to rubber. One such innovative X’Mas product at the store is the fibre optic tree. “The optic range with bells, bows and thermacol grapes is another attractive addition,” says Selvaraj. 

“While we have had requests from many customers to bring in real trees in the last couple of years, this year they have been particularly conscious about using artificial ones in the aftermath of Vardah cyclone. Also, the artificial trees are compact, washable and easy to maintain. They last as long as 10 years,” comments Selvaraj adding that most customers have been buying more than two trees per household this year. 

Meanwhile, readymade cribs are available in sizes up to 4.5 feet. There are also hundreds of accessories to choose from. “Apart from the regulars like handmade candy cans and miniature gift boxes, we also have on offer metal hangings and handmade novelty socks. The illuminated reindeer and snowman are fast moving as well.”