Beech Tree News Network

My oldest daughter asked me to complete journal entries in a small book called Mom, Share Your Life with Me: A Daily Journal of Childhood Memories, and I hope to finish the journal this month. Recent questions included: “When did you put up your Christmas tree? Where did you get them? How did you decorate your trees?” I had not thought of Christmas trees as being a family tradition, but now I see that they are.

The tradition of Christmas trees has been practiced for centuries, but many things have changed. History.com (http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees) listed some Christmas tree trivia, including:
•    Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United States since about 1850.
•    The tallest living Christmas tree is believed to be the 122-foot, 91-year-old Douglas fir in the town of Woodinville, Washington.
•    In 1912, the first community Christmas tree in the United States was erected in New York City.
•    Christmas trees generally take 6-8 years to mature.
•    Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states including Hawaii and Alaska.
•    Other types of trees such as cherry and hawthorns were used as Christmas trees in the past.
•    Thomas Edison’s assistants came up with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees.
•    In the first week, a tree in your home will consume as much as a quart of water per day.
•    The best-selling trees are Scotch Pine, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, and White Pine.

Each year during my childhood, we cut a tree on our farm and decorated it just days before Christmas. It was never beautiful, but it was always delightful. I asked friends and family about any traditions they might have for putting up a Christmas tree, and their replies are below:
•    We usually put our Christmas tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving.
•    Always after Thanksgiving, even if it’s two weeks from Christmas.
•    We put it up as a family and love talking about where we got each ornament. My daughter puts the angel on the tree ever year after all of the ornaments are on it.
•    Just has to be the week of Thanksgiving and NO sooner.
•    No traditions. We just try to find a day and get it done. I used to love decorating, but now I don’t know if I’d ever put up a tree if not for the kids.
•    No particular traditions, but have special ornaments that bring back many memories. Love to sit in the dark and look at the tree after it’s up.
•    Just after Thanksgiving.
•    Same ornaments every year!
•    Putting the ornaments on the tree is an opportunity to go back in time and recall the memories connected to those ornaments – the ones bought or made, those given to me by students over the years, those passed on from my mother that hung on my childhood tree. Remembering my childhood tree is emotional because holidays and birthdays were not big occasions: my family focused on work. So, with every hanging of an ornament that may be worn, the memory of who and when warms my heart.
•    Right after Thanksgiving.
•    Put up on Thanksgiving Day or as soon as possible. Have several old ornaments my kids made. So many memories that it’s difficult not to be sad and lonely now.
•    We go out in the woods and cut a tree down about two weeks before Christmas and put pretty colored lights and family ornaments on it. Love it!
•    My wife and daughter pick out a tree this is too big, and I have to work on getting it into the house.

Charles N. Barnard said, “The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect!” My trees haven’t been perfect, but I love the lights. For several years, my tree has been artificial; but, I have continued one tradition: I use ornaments collected over the years. This week, I’ll be dragging out those ornaments and plugging in my tree. And, I hope you enjoy the Christmas lights as much as I will.