1977.
2006.
For the past 35 years our tradition was to go up to our land and cut down our tree shortly before Christmas. We clearly couldn’t do that this year, so I bought some lights, garlands and a little artificial tree:
2011.
That works too…it pays to be flexible. How have your traditions changed over the years?
I hope you all had a great day. 🙂
When we were in Madison, Wisconsin last month, we stopped at the Wisconsin History Museum. One of the displays, with an aluminum Christmas tree, reminded me very much of the one we had in about 1967 when I was a teen in Nebraska. Karen and I have had a few “live” trees over the years, some cut from national forest land when we lived in Idaho. Mostly, though, we’ve had several artificial trees. This is the second year for our current tree, 7 1/2 feet tall, but narrow, which lets us put it up in available space without shifting furniture. It’s pre-strung with lights, all white.
Hi Mike,
It sounds like we have a similar tree! I miss the fresh cut smell, and the tradition of cutting it, but like the hassle-free set-up, pre-strung lights, and ability to fit in our living room.
Mike,
My mother had an aluminum tree that she loved. It was so much easier after she switched from the freshly cut ones.
Andy and I bought a little artificial evergreen one the first Christmas Eve we were in Ithaca. We added color lights. It was easy to store and we used it for eight years, until we came here and started cutting down our own. We kept the little one and put it in Kaitlin’s bedroom. I saved it for several years after she left home, but finally decided it was so beat up by then it was time to say goodbye. Our new one doesn’t have the sentimental value of that treasured one, but it does bring back fond memories. And I do like the garlands and LED lights.
Kaitlin,
I agree. Not having to move things around is a big plus.
It used to be extended family meals. Now me and my partner get away by ourselves.
As a matter of principle, my late wife and I decided over three decades ago not to celebrate any festivals. For that time, it was revolutionary though now more and more Indians follow suit. The principle involved was the sheer waste of money that could be put to better use. We have followed the principle till today and the money saved is indeed put to better use.
I’m with you Rummuser (Ramana). We buy what we want & need all year. The old fashioned way was to buy OTHER people stuff for Christmas they didn’t want & won’t use.
Over the years, my Christmas has changed…
I had an artificial tree that was 2 sticks of wood with slots in and you poked in these “branches” – I decided last year it has to go but didn’t replace it.
So until the 25th nothing was up/out and then I had a brainwave on my walk and used the “branches” in the bunch of jars & nice wood box surround (I have a silk flowers normally in it)…with some baubles on and it looks very festive in my living room…my friend liked it and then said but there still more “branches” in the other room…
Yes I said, I know that but I only had the brainwave this morning – what do you expect!!
On the other hand, we have a manger set on the fireplace insert that we put up every year. The stable is a simple little thing that Karen’s grandfather made over 50 years ago. 😉
Mike: that sounds like a great tradition…and great it has survived and so forth
i’m a confessed tree hugger. people usually don’t like us for some reason. i’m not a fanatic about stuff, but trees are sacred to me. and i feel so bad to see them all thrown on the curb for “trash” pick up… i don’t know. i just feel it’s so wasteful of a live thing, to enjoy it for a few weeks and then treat it as garbage. some communities may compost them. ours doesn’t. i can’t help feeling they give us oxygen when they’re alive. when they’re dead, they don’t. what a waste of a beautiful necessary life.
i bought a white artificial tree this year!!! it’s self lighted with tiny colored lights. i hung christmas “cookies” on it that blake (my nephew) made when he was 3. it looks like a snow tree. i love it! i think your branches idea is lovely cathy!
There is no tradition of putting Christmas tree in my house. We celebrate Christmas in a simple way by visiting relatives and friends to say Merry Christmas, and pray. Hopefully Jesus don’t mind.
In my early childhood, our Christmas tree was a branch lopped off one of the coastal pines. It was illegal, but the done thing back then in our city because we were ignorant about climate change then.
In my tweens, Dad and Mum realised that we were partly responsible for the very thing we all grumbled about – the dwindling green coverage along the beaches. So sadly, we switched to a fake pine about 3 feet tall. We have been using that one for close to 20 years now and have come to love the little tree. Everyone at home agrees with me that we shouldn’t go in for the ceiling scrapers that are the norm now because we aren’t the Joneses, and we don’t want to keep up with them either as there is nothing wrong with our lovely little fella that is cleaned up nicely and packed away carefully after its annual, three week tour of duty.
Jean, I had no idea your home was part of the unfortunate stats that bikehikebabe updated me on. I haven’t read that far back. Whenever I’m faced with a situation where I can’t do anything physically to help, I pray for that person/cause. Will do that for you and your family …. although there doesn’t seem to be a need to that because you all are doing just fine. 🙂 I jest. Will tack on a P.S. for you in my nightly chat with Him tonight.
Kate
P.S.: bikehikebabe, as promised, I’ve responded to your briefing in the earlier post.
Evan,
For the most part it’s just Andy and I every other year . The other times it’s Kaitlin and Torben and (usually) the granddogs. Nothing formal, thank goodness. 🙂
Rummuser,
I certainly would have gone for that, but with extended families there was a lot of gift exchanging for years. I did my shopping early and tried to have everything sent off around Thanksgiving. Then December was a quiet time and I would forget about Christmas except for avoiding shopping malls. When the day came it was peaceful and pleasant.
bikehikebabe,
I often felt that way, but sometimes we do get neat gifts, things we wouldn’t think to buy for ourselves but really enjoy. And I do like finding gifts that other people like. It’s a lot easier now that the list of people we buy for is short and we know them well.
Cathy,
That’s my kind of decorating! Good thinking. 🙂
Mike,
Now that’s a great way of decorating, simple with a lot of meaning.
We celebrate Christmas in a simple way by visiting relatives and friends to say Merry Christmas, and pray. Hopefully Jesus don’t mind.