For some people, Thanksgiving is more important than Christmas. But for others, like me, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. A time of celebration, a time to remember Christ and rejoice in the company of our families and friends. The Christmas Tree, a made-up tradition that doesn’t have anything to do with the holiday, is nevertheless present and has become a symbol of the holiday.
Charlie Brown's "Lonely Tree". Image taken off Target's Website
But how do you choose your Christmas Tree? You can buy artificial trees that come pre-decorated so you can just plug the switch in and voilá: Christmas sensation. There are small Christmas Trees made of Rosemary that come with a handful of recipes so the tree’s both aesthetic and functional. You can even buy a Christmas Tree like Charlie Brown’s!
Image taken off Elgin Christmas Tree Farm Website
But there’s nothing like a real Christmas Tree to fill your house with that wonderful, real pine scent. The Texas Christmas Tree Growers Association lists about 25 different places you can visit TODAY (the Friday after Thanksgiving) to find a tree you like, pay approximately 20 to 30 bucks, cut it down and walk out of there with a tree more special than others: one that you cut yourself. I’ve never done it, so I don’t know how much it would hurt to cut it. I mean, I don’t know if I could chase a turkey and twist its neck off for dinner. But the experience of driving far away for a tree, choosing one among many, bringing it home with the stories that the trip entailed must make for a much more interesting Christmas Tree.
5 Comments
November 29, 2008 at 12:20 am
Nice idea. I, too, love the scent of Christmas trees–inherited from my mom, I guess. I am from the Roaring Fork (yes like the Austin restaurant) Valley in Colorado where trees are all over the place. One year, my uncle and I decided that we should go out and get a tree for ourselves. This was no tree farm adventure though. We went to the forest station, bought a 10 dollar permit, grabbed our boots and a shovel and headed out for our tree. Certain trees in CO are “protected” so you have to be careful you don’t cut the wrong one down. We drove about 40 minutes to the area that allows tree-chopping. Then we got our shovel and took a hike to find just the right size tree. After we sawed through the trunk we placed a tag on the tree marking the fact that we were legally removing it and dragged it down the hill to the truck. It was a satisfying, but grueling process. I never went through it again, not to say that I didn’t enjoy it or wouldn’t recommend it. It did give me an added sense of gratitude for that tree. The adventure was memorable. Now, however, we buy a live tree in a pot (only about 2.5 feet tall) and keep it in our garage after the holidays, until we can plant it in the spring! Smell trumps size in the Walla House. (sorry for the mini-novela!)
November 29, 2008 at 1:14 am
I absolutely love this post. I think it’s a great idea that everyone MUST try at least once. My parents live on a lot of land, so every year when I come home from college for Christmas, I get so excited because my dad goes out and picks a Christmas tree on our land and cuts it down. We all help carry it in from our porch to our living room where we spend hours decorating it! Great memories! And, yes, the pine needles shed everywhere, but get a broom because it is so worth it!
November 29, 2008 at 3:59 pm
This is awesome you guys!! Wow Kristin I love how you told that story, I fantasize about it but it sounds like a grueling process, you know. Getting out with some heavy boots, chopping it down, carrying it back… memorable yeah!!
Awww Holley how lovely that you have that tradition in your family! I love making decorating the tree an activity to share with family or even roommates! Which is my case here in Austin, for when I get home my mom will already have the tree set up.
I’m getting all worked up, happy holidays you guys!
November 29, 2008 at 7:10 pm
What a neat find, Raquel! My mom has tried to get my dad to let us use an artificial tree for yearsss, but he claims that there’s something about a real tree that makes the season right. I think I may keep this “cut your own tree” thing a secret from him, though, because I’m more like my mom. I like to plug it in, badda bing badda boom, and you’re done!
November 30, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I understand both. I like the smell of the tree (as do both of my parents), but I don’t like removing the decorations, so I like our small little tree on top of a table with lights, a star and like 10 hanging ornaments. The best of both worlds.