Christmas Tree Stories

At this age, one has seen a fair number of Christmas seasons, and Christmas trees. By now, I have figured out that each tree has a story.

I have eight siblings, so when we were growing up, only the top half of our tree had ornaments. My parents had given up on keeping anything on the bottom half. They had also learned, after the first tipped over tree, to put a discreet wire around the trunk about 2/3 of the way up, and nail each end of said wire to the window trim with small brads.

My own children, three daughters, were a bit easier to keep up with. I did choose unbreakable trims when they were young. Amy had a great deal of trouble leaving the ornaments on the tree her second Christmas, but she knew what “no no” meant. So….rather than touch the trims, she’d stick out her tongue and spray spit at them or throw toys at them…touching them that way, but minding the hands-off rule.

Then there was the year we found this beautiful short needled pine, decorated it Dec. 1st, only to have it turn brown and drop its needles two weeks later. We got another tree, of course, not the same kind, though, and called it the two-tree year.

We used to love to traipse around a tree farm with our kiddos, especially in the snow, and choose and cut our own tree. One year, we didn’t find the perfect tree until dusk. We dragged it to the car, tied it to the top, got it home, and it took up literally a third of our living room. Those trees always look much smaller in the wide open spaces than in your home.

Have you got pets? One sister’s dog used to raise his leg and mark his territory on the tree….ewww! And another sister had a pair of curious cats, who more than once, chased each other up the Christmas tree, thus tipping it over twice in a single year. Sis solved the problem by anchoring her tree the way my parents used to. Pets also love to drink from whatever mixture you have in the stand for watering your tree, so sugar water only applies here.

My daughter, once grown and with toddlers, decided to leave the kids out of the play pen and put the tree IN it, thus keeping both tree and kids safe. It was a bit funny looking, but I thought it very innovative of her.

I guess my all-around favorite tree story is that of Charlie Brown, and his pitiful little tree that turned out so grand. I, too, am for the under-dog…or the under-tree.

Karen Chaffee 2008

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