Before Thanksgiving I’m a scrooge. A bah humbug. I don’t believe Christmas should be dragged out for 3 months. I love Christmas but it fits nicely into December. After Thanksgiving? Bring it! I love the carols, the food, the tree, and the joy on my kids’ faces. I am a huge fan of the traditions that we pass along. The Christmas crackers, mince pies, chinese food on the eve. What’s not to like? And the great tradition? Getting the tree.
When I was a kid, when trees were cheap, my dad started the game of what’s the least amount we can spend on a great looking tree? For years we would get trees for less than $10. It was a point of pride. Our chances were increased because we waited until after my sister’s birthday so we wouldn’t get a tree until a week or two before Christmas so vendors were looking to get rid of inventory. And because we followed the 12 days of Christmas and kept the tree up until the 7th of January we never missed out on tree time.
This past weekend it was time to get our tree. We go to a tree farm just north of us. They have free donuts and hot chocolate. It was an easy choice to keep going to this farm. Plus they really make it an adventure for the families. Once you are able to find a parking space, which isn’t always easy as this is a very popular spot, you get in line for the horse drawn carriages which take you down to the trees then bring you back again with your trees.
They even play Christmas carols for the ride. As it is usually bitter cold we all huddle together for warmth. We did quite well this year as we found our tree as soon as we got off the carriage. Usually it takes awhile as we compare and search. We have high ceilings so it needs to be tall, full but not overly wide. Not always easy to find. But this year it was waiting for us. 🙂
Then it was the ride back for the donuts and hot chocolate while we waited for our tree to catch up with us. It was very busy so they couldn’t get all the trees up at the same time. The next day we decorated it, good thing for ladders! I love our decorations. We have blue and white lights which are the colours we used to honour Grammy at Christmas time but as they are so pretty I continued it, we have glass ornaments I got from Harrods when I was a student and they were on sale, and we have several ornaments the kids made. Those are my favourites. There is one that has our son’s tiny hand print on it. How they grow. We hang round the house various paper santas and snowmen they have made over the years. I’m amazed they survived!
It was quite the task getting the angel to stay up. It took a complete nose dive to the floor. Most of it survived. We had to trim the top a bit so it was stable but we got it to behave. I love having the regular lights off and just have the tree lights on. So pretty. I even like taking my glasses off and have it all a soft blur.
The next step is to organise the presents and start putting them under the tree. Fortunately our pets leave it all alone! Though Murphy is always interested in our decorating. He gets right in the thick of things. 🙂
I couldn’t agree more. I never put up the tree or set out any decorations until December. Very nostalgic using the horse and buggy to bring in a tree. Looks like you got a beautifully shaped tree.
We got lucky, no one had grabbed it yet!
Nice tree and love the story. When the kids were small and until they were almost grown, we always would go to a tree farm in East Texas and cut down a tree. I am horribly allergic to pines, spruces and firms but I would suffer through Christmas so the kids would have a real tree and the “smell” of Christmas. In 2005, I bought an artificial tree. It goes up the weekend after Thanksgiving along with the house decorations and stays up until the first weekend in January when it goes back into the dedicated Christmas closet under the back stairwell. It’s very nice not having to hunt down a new tree every year and I no longer get sick during Christmas. The kids still complain (except Daniel who also is allergic to real trees) but they no longer live with us so if they want a real tree they can get one for their own home. 😉
I usually get a rash if I get too close but I’m in the same boat, the rest of the family love a fresh tree. I do too because of the experience of going out with the family. Some day it will be a fake tree but not yet. 🙂
That is a serious tree…looks wonderful….
Thanks. 🙂
What beautiful shaped trees you have over there. We used to go to the same place every year but there were no horse drawn carriages or free doughnuts but we did get Christmas carols. Lovely to keep the ornaments from one year to the next brings back memories of Christmas past.
We got lucky, there were some Charlie Brown trees there as well. 🙂
Beautiful tree and great traditions!
Thank you! I love this time of year. 🙂
I despise what “they” have done to Christmas, starting the adverts before Halloween. Ruining Thanksgiving by making it less about family and more about shopping. Like you, I like the preparations and celebrations to begin in December and last until The Epiphany. Your tree looks beautiful and you’ve a great spot for it, framing it perfectly.
Oh it’s so materialistic. If they keep going they will ruin Halloween as well!
A perfect Christmas tree –
Thanks. 🙂
I am a firm believe of looking forward to Thanksgiving, but after that Christmas is fair game. My husband and I get our tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving and keep it up until after the new year.
People get so carried away!
I’m also a firm believer of people not getting stressed out. I have eliminated all the things that make me stressed out about the holidays and have learned to love the little things more.
Same here. Makes such a difference.
Lovely tree and your experience makes it all the nicer.
Thank you. 🙂