Decorating a Tree
Christmas has always been my favourite time of year. I'm sure the same is true for many people, even if, like me, they are not Christians. By happy coincidence, Kwanzaa, Chanukah, the Winter Solstice, and Saturnalia all more or less coincide at this time of year (though we are already half way through Chanukah), so it seems to me that most people have something to celebrate in December, even if it's just getting a few holiday days with one's family. I attribute my own love of Christmas to a strange love of dark snowy nights, a birthday on Boxing Day, a fierce belief in Santa that lasted when pretty much everyone else in my grade had stopped believing, and a love of the spirit of giving gifts and sharing meals with family just to say 'you matter to me'. I am so into Christmas that my dad calls me 'the Christmas Kid', and it really is unrelated to having a birthday the next day.
Of all the wonderful things that I love about this time of year (and there are so many it almost doesn't bear listing them), decorating a tree is my VERY TOP favourite. There are so many favourites! But decorating the tree, that really is the best. By another happy coincidence, decorating a tree has no basis in the Christian faith, but rather began in Germany in the 16th century out of the sheer fun of lighting candles and hanging small objects and foods on a great smelling, fresh cut fir tree. "My parents had artificial and fake trees when I was growing up, and I loved them both. When we were older, my mum would wait for my sister and I to get home from university to decorate the tree with champagne flutes in hand. My sister and I both, consequently, have large tins of ornaments that we've gathered over the years. My gran and grandpa (and then just my gran) would give us a small gift attached to our other gift, and that small gift was our Christmas Eve present and we got to open it before bed each year. It was always an ornament, and it always went directly onto the tree. There's something magical about a lit up tree. I used to sit and stare at it, just full of happy feelings by looking at it. Duke, one of our doggies, used to do the same; he'd sit in front of the tree and look at it. The Christmas Dog.
This year, for the first time ever, I have a tree in our apartment. I've never had "my very own" Christmas tree! I've got to work up until Christmas eve this year, so it's nice to have it up to be festive before getting home. I think it's also Drew's first Christmas tree of "his very own." We decorated it together yesterday afternoon, with some wine and fun music, and big smiles. It's glorious!
Here it is:
Of all the wonderful things that I love about this time of year (and there are so many it almost doesn't bear listing them), decorating a tree is my VERY TOP favourite. There are so many favourites! But decorating the tree, that really is the best. By another happy coincidence, decorating a tree has no basis in the Christian faith, but rather began in Germany in the 16th century out of the sheer fun of lighting candles and hanging small objects and foods on a great smelling, fresh cut fir tree. "My parents had artificial and fake trees when I was growing up, and I loved them both. When we were older, my mum would wait for my sister and I to get home from university to decorate the tree with champagne flutes in hand. My sister and I both, consequently, have large tins of ornaments that we've gathered over the years. My gran and grandpa (and then just my gran) would give us a small gift attached to our other gift, and that small gift was our Christmas Eve present and we got to open it before bed each year. It was always an ornament, and it always went directly onto the tree. There's something magical about a lit up tree. I used to sit and stare at it, just full of happy feelings by looking at it. Duke, one of our doggies, used to do the same; he'd sit in front of the tree and look at it. The Christmas Dog.
This year, for the first time ever, I have a tree in our apartment. I've never had "my very own" Christmas tree! I've got to work up until Christmas eve this year, so it's nice to have it up to be festive before getting home. I think it's also Drew's first Christmas tree of "his very own." We decorated it together yesterday afternoon, with some wine and fun music, and big smiles. It's glorious!
Here it is:
 |
| Wonderful Cheerful Lit-Up Tree! |
It makes me so happy! And just to give some perspective on it's fantastic size:
 |
| Happy Little Tree, shining to it's heart's content! |
YAY! WONDERFUL!
ReplyDeleteit really does have a happy glowing heart, doesn't it! so great. BIG HUGS!