Wonderful Christmas Traditions

The Christmas season is often associated with wonderful times with family and friends. While gift giving and shopping are so often the focus, it is the time spent with loved ones from near and far that often times created memories that are retold from year to year, even long after loved ones have passed.

Cutting a Fresh Christmas Tree

Gathering the family to go cut a fresh Christmas tree is not something that everyone is probably familiar with. It might actually sound very foreign to someone living in a big city along the lines of New York. It may also seem a little strange for those in the warmer regions of the United States, say Orlando or San Diego. Getting together to go cut a Christmas tree is something I grew up with though, and it is a tradition we try to pass on to our kids. We have not made it an every year occasion, but we have cut a fresh tree in four of the last six years.

It is pretty cool to watch the children get excited and try to explain why the tree that each of them has chosen is the right tree. They always start out picking different trees, but by the time we talk it out as a family we all agree on just the perfect tree.

Decorating the Tree

After I have the freshly cut Christmas tree home, unwrapped, set up in the tree stand, and put the base lights on the tree, it is time for decorations. Christmas music is turned up, hot chocolate with marshmallows is poured, and a nice glass of red wine is poured for the adults to prep for the decoration process. So far, I have managed to sit back and watch the decoration process with my glass of vino each year. To me, the real fun is watching the children put on decorations. They inevitably put the decorations in two groups (one for each), and we have some serious gaps to fill in. But I must say that noticing how each year the decorations are placed higher and higher is a treat in and of itself.

After the decorations are all on, and the empty spots have been filled, the lights go off in the house. It is time for the ceremonial lighting of the tree. The family stands and watches as the master of the lights (me) flips the magic switch (the powerstrip on/off button) on. All Christmas trees look wonderful the first time the lights are on. Lights, tons of decorations with sentimental meaning, and just plain old natural imperfections are the key. It is very enjoyable to put the kids to bed on tree lighting night because they are so excited, and I guess to a large extent, so are we.