There are some traditions that, once they take their place in our lives, feel as though they are woven into the essence of who we are as human beings. Growing up, I always loved traditions, but life being as it is, most of those traditions have not lasted into my adulthood. Some years ago, I realized that I now hold the responsibility of creating my own traditions within my family’s context. With good tidings of great joy, I’m sharing my favorite tradition with you all today. I present to you: Christmas Tree Day.
The Origins of Christmas Tree Day
I have always deeply loved putting up the Christmas tree. I remember fighting with my sisters over who got to hang the angels and ballerinas. Elaborate dramas were acted out by various ornaments each year in my own little head. I recall the swelling pride I felt when I inherited a few ornaments upon leaving for college. And I’ll never forget the first time the family Christmas tree was decorated without me, as I appeared too busy to come home for such a seemingly insignificant event. To me, however, putting up the Christmas tree was anything but insignificant. It signaled the beginning of a season that I waited for all year long. I was often told by my mother growing up that I was “as slow as Christmas,” and this analogy made sense for me. That was precisely how I felt about the season, and the tree meant it had finally arrived. But looking back, I think what I missed the most that year was the retelling of our family’s stories.
Christmas Tree Day was not created intentionally, but rather came to be fairly gradually. My husband and I have been married now for 11 years, and early on we decided collecting Christmas ornaments from special events made sense. We could pull them out and admire them once a year, but not feel badly about storing them away the rest of the time. Each year, as our collection grew, so did our love for this day. Coupling my enjoyment of decorating the tree with reflecting on the stories of our family eventually turned this day into my favorite of the year.
How We Celebrate
So what exactly is Christmas Tree Day? In our family, it falls sometime the weekend after Thanksgiving. We opt for a real tree for a number of reasons, so a chunk of the day is spent looking for the perfect fir in a local lot. Sadly, we don’t go all Clark Griswold and chop down our own, but the enthusiasm is very similar! Once the tree is home and in its place, hot chocolate and the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack set the mood. After threading on the lights comes the main event of Christmas Tree Day, the placing of the ornaments.
I am not being dramatic in calling this an “event”. After approximately 11 years of collecting ornaments in addition to those from my childhood, each token hung on the tree has its own story. There’s a bird ornament my mom stole from the FloraBama before I was old enough to know what that was. A porcelain one-legged ballerina I danced with in my childhood. Sea shells collected on various trips to the coast. A clay paw print from our sweet chihuahua that passed a few years ago. A bronzed leaf from a Colorado camping trip. There is an embroidered “D” which stands for my maiden name of Dempsey placed in memory of my father. Among this year’s additions is a purple gemstone key chain from Desoto Caverns. I could go on about the beautiful, and often unusual, items around our tree. My husband is patient as we recollect every single ornament that we hang and celebrate the people and places it represents. By the time this is published, I will have an answer for you on how patient our two year old is this year!
Why We Celebrate
Christmas Tree Day will likely experience changes as our family grows. Keeping all of the breakable ornaments out of my son’s reach this year will be more challenging than last year. But I fully intend for the heart of the day to remain. It offers a way to look back on the love and meaning from our past, to look around us at the joyful blessings of our present, and to look ahead with hope and anticipation of the unknown future. This is what I believe a good tradition offers. A way to feel my roots sinking deeper and my arms reaching further.
As you enter into this season, may you find your own meaning in the ways you celebrate whatever holidays are important for you.
I’d love to hear from you! What traditions do you hold sacred in your family? Or what traditions would you love to implement?
