One of the most wonderful things about December is the number of Christmas trees that spring up everywhere. I love Christmas and I love the proliferation of trees!
“I know that a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania is about the most random place for a country singer to come from, but I had an awesome childhood.” Taylor Swift
I can totally identify with Taylor Swift’s description of an awesome childhood, having grown up on a Christmas tree farm. It sounds like a dream come true!
Trees line the streets!
Christmas tree shopping was a ritual in my home growing up. My Dad would pile us all into the trusty woodie wagon and we’d all head out to pick one out as a family, which was never easy! The catch, however, was that my father loved to buy “live” trees that could be planted after Christmas. This made it extra special, because you could see each Christmas tree permanently growing on our property. It was a unique and truly memorable way to celebrate.
The tree is always the highlight at Christmas!
That may be why I became enthralled with Christmas trees from childhood, onward. When I moved into New York to my first apartment, a small studio walk-up, I made a pledge to buy a Christmas tree every year, despite the tiny size of my apartment. Living on a shoestring meant that I had to start with a very small tree. I promised myself to buy a bigger one each year, until I could afford a big one, in the 6 foot + range. And that’s exactly what I did!
Tree in my building in NYC!
Now, I live in a building in NYC that celebrates Christmas with a giant tree that delights all of us. I still buy my own tree, but the ones they display surpass any height of an indoor tree that I’ve seen. It’s just delightful to come home to it every evening during December. We also have evenings with music and champagne! It always inspires me to go out and take notice of all the trees in the city and wherever I go, during December.
It’s a great way to celebrate Christmas coming with “A Table For One!”
Copyright 2015 Marion M. O’Grady
In Victorian times, the tree would have been decorated with candles to represent stars. In many parts of Europe, candles are still used to decorate Christmas trees.