Christmas Trees

[Herlock]

Hi! Built up our “indoor” Christmas tree with the family this week-end . It’s the typical week-end for this activity in my area, we celebrate S.Ambrogio (Patron Saint of Milano) and Immaculate Conception, so we have some bank holidays/days-off work. This normally means panettone, mulled wine, Christmas songs and Christmas markets . This is also the week-end opening officially the ski-season in the Alps. Not so much snow yet! Along the years, we have collected small items coming from different places and occasions (from the little handcrafts the kids do in school to knick-knacks bought here and there, etc.) which now decorates our tree. The pinecones are real ones we have collected during our walks in the woods, sprayed with silver paint and completed with a loop of ribbon to be possible to hang. The old lady with the broom embroidered on the sock is a representation of Berchta (called Befana in Italy) . According to the ancient traditions from Alpine regions here, she flies around on her broom and normally leaves a small useful present for the kids on the 6th of January, if they behaved in a correct and “productive” way along the year. Santa brings the heavy stuff they have on the list on the 25th December but the kids love Berchta and the little items she puts in the socks !

Pics, just to share; would be nice to see your Christmas Trees and know something about your Christmas decorations/traditions :thumbup:!

 

[22-rimfire]

I haven't put one up this year. Wife is going to be gone Christmas and the week after and I just figured "bah humbug".

Added: That said, we have a small Norfolk Pine (house plant) that is about 3 feet tall or so that has Christmas lights on it. I think for this year, this is enough.

 

[Shann]

Our X-Mas trees have been a progression downward.

At first, with our son we had glorious real trees that I got from a friend who had a tree farm. Then my wife figured out maybe she was allergic or the needles were a problem.

So we went to a huge, expensive really nice artificial tree that looked great but took forever to get together. Then our son went off to college.

So we went to a still nice, smaller tree that you still had to put together.

Now, we basically have a Charlie Brown artificial tree that sets up in like two minutes. But it does look nice with all the lights.

I'm shooting for eventually a picture of a tree tacked to the wall.

 

[Daniel Dorn]

LOL! "picture of a tree" haha!

We have progressed similarly. First few years we went all out "real" with dropped needles, sap and fire hazard. Loved the smell, hated the clean-up.

We then bought a decent 9-footer artificial, which we used for several years. It actually started dropping the artificial needles, as they were starting to get brittle. Then a 9-foot pre-lighted tree. Never again. Once one bulb is out, you have to find it, if that's even possible, or none of them work. Then you feel you paid so much that you need to use it anyway, and re-string it every year.

Last year, we were so busy, and had a new rabbit with it's cage sitting in the usual tree spot, so we didn't even put up a tree. This year we put up the old pre-lit (no longer lighting) tree for the last time. Still looks decent, but it's starting to shed, as well. May do a real one, just for kicks, to see if the kids like it. Otherwise, I'm looking at a small 3-ft artificial that can be put almost anywhere. Kids already have their presents. I think I have one present that I refused to accept until Christmas day, and it better well be wrapped! Anyway, as the kids are older, there's not really any need to put presents under a tree.

 

[taldesta]

Lovely idea for a thread at this time of year, Herlock

Just last year I decided to put up a store bought tree rather than fresh cut for the first time ... and I am rather pleased with the ease and the simplicity of it.

Angel on the treetop turns 73 years tomorrow. She held that high perch for many years on the farm ... pictured in the painting to the left of the tree. Up close, she looks a little scary but from afar her wings glint nicely. I recall refreshing her wings with the silver foil from a package of my dad`s cigarettes when I was about 10 years old. Her skirt is made from kitchen curtain fabric - still looks fine ... at a distance. Of course she is pampered and protected for 11 months of the year.

Left to right, the fur angels of the house: Sasha, then sister Daisy (the infamous tomato thief). Middle is Desta (Dez) and on the lazy boy is Tally Bear (Tal).



Have a wonderful day!

 

[22-rimfire]

Historically, Christmas is really a big deal for me. Started out going to tree farms at some distance and cutting our own. Then to store bought cut trees for a number of years. We switched to what turned out to be a junky artificial for a couple years and then bought a much nicer artificial tree. That is where we are now. But for this year, we just decorated out large house plant as our Christmas tree. It is actually pretty nice. In years past, the house plant tree would be a secondary tree.

The Nortfolk pine house plant has some history. It started it's life at our house as a tiny house plant purchased and given to a friend in the hospital who's Mother was killed in a car accident. It was a kid and they really didn't want a plant from the hospital. So we gave it a home. (She was a good friend of my wife's.) We raised that tree as a memorial to her and it flourished. We think of the friend every time we look at that tree and remember.

Merry Christmas to all.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

We're weening off Christmas in favor of a mid January vacation. Got rid of the tree entirely this year and gifts are many fewer and further between. The stepdaughter opted for a spending spree at the mall post vacation instead of gifts and my fiancée and I aren't exchanging at all. We have gifts for the more extended family, but that's only because every time we agree not to exchange with them they insist on getting stuff anyway, so we may as well just preempt that.

 

[Catherine_Montana]

Beautiful trees!

Love the dogs!

Thank you.

Cate

 

[Catherine_Montana]

Hi! Built up our “indoor” Christmas tree with the family this week-end . It’s the typical week-end for this activity in my area, we celebrate S.Ambrogio (Patron Saint of Milano) and Immaculate Conception, so we have some bank holidays/days-off work. This normally means panettone, mulled wine, Christmas songs and Christmas markets . This is also the week-end opening officially the ski-season in the Alps. Not so much snow yet! Along the years, we have collected small items coming from different places and occasions (from the little handcrafts the kids do in school to knick-knacks bought here and there, etc.) which now decorates our tree. The pinecones are real ones we have collected during our walks in the woods, sprayed with silver paint and completed with a loop of ribbon to be possible to hang. The old lady with the broom embroidered on the sock is a representation of Berchta (called Befana in Italy) . According to the ancient traditions from Alpine regions here, she flies around on her broom and normally leaves a small useful present for the kids on the 6th of January, if they behaved in a correct and “productive” way along the year. Santa brings the heavy stuff they have on the list on the 25th December but the kids love Berchta and the little items she puts in the socks !

Pics, just to share; would be nice to see your Christmas Trees and know something about your Christmas decorations/traditions :thumbup:!

Hello from Western Montana - USA!

Growing up and as an adult with no children... I used to keep my tree up until January 10th. A couple of days past January 6th.

Are your white flowers (?) on the tree real or made of silk?

Your tree top star design is what my late parents and I had too. Traditional and made of glass but a wee bit different color of glass.

Our ski resorts are busy out here in the mountains.

Cate

 

[Catherine_Montana]

Sweet smelling, fresh cut evergreen branches - various types depending on my mood and/or cut flowers in two nice vases or in clear glass canning jars are what I have been doing for many, many years including before my late husband's cancer discovery and death years ago.

Back east, where we built our first house that we lived in until my move out west after he died, my late husband and I did have some Christmas trees that we planted, several fresh cut trees, a teeny/tiny tree when we first got married (Nam era - USN time.) in our tiny beach cottage and for LESS than 5 years total out of OVER 30 years - we had a medium artificial tree with tiny clear lights on it. That was pretty too but we gave it to someone who did not have one, wanted one and could not afford one.

I gave my FEW, pretty, simple store bought and handmade ornaments, natural white pine and spruce cones, an advent candle set, a Nativity set, two wreaths and NO name stockings to my older sister and a couple of close friends. They could choose what they wanted and they were/are really BIG into decorations all over their house so they added my few simple things to their STUFF. Grin.

I was never into tons of decorations all over the house (My parents were not either.) and I was more into Advent Candles on the table and the Nativity Set aka Creche although I did like and enjoy a simple tree.

As a remarried widow... I do the same thing with my husband. He doesn't care if he has a tree or not but he enjoys looking at them at other places in person, in the wilderness and in pictures.

I never had children but a fresh cut Christmas tree is what I grew up with my parents. My older brother, my older sister and I used to pick it out and bring it home.

The religious part of Christmas was/is a big deal to my tiny family, what is left of us, and me (Shy of 2 years for me personally - no offense for my honesty here.) so the Advent Season and candle lighting was super important and looking at the Creche too.

(My Jewish friends observe Hanukkah and we always wish each other the best too.)

I only have one evergreen bush on the front porch here this year. I keep it there year round in a pot.

I may get a few fresh flowers with some greenery for the New Year for the inside of the house.

Cate
Typos!