The resin from the Christmas tree still clings tightly between my fingers creating a bond perfectly uniting my appendages. You know you have a fresh tree when the sap continues to exude even after the trunk and limbs have been trimmed so the evergreen will fit neatly into the stand. I was amazed how few trees were left to choose from even though we were still more than a month away from that magical morning that everyone looks forward to in December. I asked some of the “elves” why the pickings were so slim. Maybe with our current economy, fewer trees than normal were ordered. Maybe freighters continue to bog down with deliveries due to labor shortages and high shipping costs. I was surprised when the clerk informed me, they had plenty of trees before Thanksgiving, but shoppers came much earlier this season, thinning inventories quickly. Wow, maybe the Grinch hasn’t kept Christmas from coming, after all.
I find myself hustling to get to the finish line this year before winter and the season flies by on a Siberian express. The last meeting of the year, or so I hope, just came to an end and it’s time to enjoy what “home” brings to our hearts. I long to walk into the kitchen and absorb the warmth from spiced tea brewing and trash cooling. Scented candles will bring as much through olfactory senses as the poinsettias do for the eyes. Whether you prefer the traditional red poinsettias or the variants of the hybrids, they still mean Christmas is near. It is such a hard time of year to be “good” with the abundance of treats so readily available. I’m sure I won’t get a good report card during my next doctors visit, but tis the season it is. I’ll just have to park farther from my stand on my next hunt and walk faster than normal to my destination.
To me, the highlight of the home is where the Christmas tree, in all its splendor, resides. Whether you choose to place it in your den, living room, or even outside on your back porch, wherever the tree is, so will be family and guests. The tradition of the Christmas tree originates in Germany around 1600 and is usually associated with Saint Boniface and the celebration of Christmas. Trees were traditionally decorated with roses made of colored paper, apples, wafers, tinsel, and sweetmeats. Moravian Christians illuminated trees with candles which were replaced with Christmas lights after the advent of electricity. Today, trees are decorated with a wide variety of ornaments, both traditional and modern. An angel or a star may be placed at the top of the tree to represent the Angel Gabriel or the Star of Bethlehem, respectively, from the Nativity.
Normally, an evergreen is used for the Christmas tree to symbolize eternal life. This tradition was introduced to North America in the winter of 1781 by Hessian soldiers stationed in the Province of Quebec to garrison the colony against American attack. General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel and his wife held a Christmas party for the officers at Sorel, Quebec, with a fir tree decorated with candles and fruits.
The Christmas tree became common in the United States in the early nineteenth century. Dating from late 1812 or early 1813, the watercolor sketchbooks of John Lewis Krimmel contain perhaps the earliest depictions of a Christmas tree. The first published image of a Christmas tree appeared in 1836 as the frontispiece to “The Strangers Gift” by Herman Bokum. Several cities in the United States, with German connections, lay claim to that country’s first Christmas tree. Windsor Locks, Conn., claims that a Hessian soldier put up a Christmas tree in 1777 while imprisoned at the Noden-Reed House. Easton, Penn., claims the first Christmas tree in America where German soldiers purportedly erected a Christmas tree in 1816.
Still, another claim by August Imgard, a German immigrant living in Wooster, Ohio, is said to be the first to popularize the practice of decorating a tree with candy canes. In 1847, Imgard cut a blue spruce from the woods outside town and placed it in his home and decorated it with paper ornaments and gilded nuts.
I also find it interesting that Edward H. Johnson, vice president of Edison Electric Light Company, created the first known electrically illuminated Christmas tree at his home in New York City in1882 making him the “Father of Electric Christmas Tree Lights.” So, you see the history of the Christmas tree is vast.
I remember oh so vividly decorating the tree when I was a young lad. Our entire family, even with dad sitting on the sofa giving directions, participated in the yearly tradition. Perhaps there was Christmas music playing on the stereo. I may recall some iconic Christmas story on television like Rudolph, Frosty, or maybe even Charlie Brown. Strings of popcorn had been created to compliment the ornaments, lights, and tinsel. Icicles, if I recall correctly, were made of lead, and were “tossed” upon the branches. Mom wasn’t fond of this tactic so, many times, she took this endeavor over. The lights were large bulbs that became extremely hot to the touch. I remember the transition to smaller, cooler bulbs. Then came the lights that would blink off and on. Technology even with the traditional Christmas tree came to us at light speed, no pun intended.
My favorite ornaments were those of deer, ducks, squirrels, owls, and more. Anything that had something to do with wildlife was favored by me. My sister and mom had their own favorites which was ok too, for there was plenty of room among the branches. The final touch was placing the steeple on the top of the tree. I don’t recall ever having the honor to adorn the tree with the beautiful blue piece that we had for decades. Come to think of it, I’m not sure what happened to it. I do remember, when we finished with the endeavor, we turned the lights off in the den and stood in awe of the magnificent creation. Each morning before school, we turned the lights on briefly, then off to the bus we went. Such great times these were, and I’ll never forget them.
Do you have your own traditions when it comes to decorating your Christmas tree? Do you prefer a more modern look or the traditional look? Does the entire family participate with festive music playing in the background? I’m a week or so ahead with my writing, but if you haven’t decorated your tree, now is the time. Make a big deal out of it and have fun. You can create the most wonderful family memories around O’ Tannenbaum and I invite you to do so. You’ll be glad you did. Until next time enjoy our woods and waters and remember, let’s leave it better than we found it.
