Oh Christmas Tree

We have the tradition of putting up our Christmas tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving and it takes most of the day. This year we were out of town that day, so we did it the first chance we got after we got home. But since we didn't have a full Saturday it took us a couple of days to get it all done.


I love traditions, and below is ours. First, the Christmas music MUST come on!

Kevin's role is to perfectly place the lights. He knows this is my favorite part so he gets a little stressed but honestly he never fails me. This year he really outdid himself.


While Kevin is stressing over lights - Ellie and I get out the rest of the house decorations and joyfully place them around the house. I can never quite remember where everything goes so Ellie recommended we make a list for each holiday decoration and where it goes so from year to year I won't forget. (She actually mentioned this a few weeks ago in anticipation of decorating and it cracked me up. She is so much like me.)

She has also taken on the tradition of putting on the tree skirt as a dress, a skirt, a queen's cloak, etc. This year she had us call her Queen Ellie the entire night.


Ellie is always in charge of the nativity (which she changes the placement throughout December) and the chocolate tray. Of course you can eat as you place.



This year after the lights were on she loved the tree so much she gave it an air-hug.


After the lights are on and the house is done, together we all decorate the tree.


I hope she is developing my love for the tree and the traditions of the day we bring it home.

This is our 2009 Christmas tree.


The rest of this post isn't so much about Ellie, but my love for the tree. I tell you because I hope it is something I can pass on to her.

I love the Christmas tree. I love going to pick it out and finding just the right one. I love watching as they tie a massive tree to the top of the car. (Since I bought a Mini-Cooper this year, I was thankful for Kevin's car.) I love the time with my family. I love being together and enjoying the season. I love the fresh scent of it in my house. I love the lights. Sometimes at night I'll sit on the couch alone in the dark and just stare at the lights. I squint (or before lasik - I simply took off my glasses) to spread the lights around. I love the decorations - I've had homemade ornaments which are so meaningful, and I have also spent hours in stores selecting just the right ones.

Ellie asked me the other day why I always leave the lights on, even in the day. I told her because I love looking at them. It's so magical to me to have a real tree, in my house, so beautiful (just the tree alone) and then we garnish it with even more beauty and I have just one month to enjoy it.

I've never looked at the history of this tree I love so much. My history of the tree tells it's own story. But this year I decided to do some searching. I had heard it was a pagan tradition, and then I had heard it was not. (Both of these links "Wikipedia" and "ChristmasArchives" give great histories.) The oldest historical reference I found was back to the 7th century and the Fir tree was used in symbolism to describe the Holy Trinity. In the 16th century the tree with lights was used to show how stars twinkled in the night (using candles). In the mid 16th century the colors red and white were introduced for knowledge and innocence. Of course the history develops and changes over the years, but I think the roots are quite appropriate.

You can take away many thoughts from history, but what I am taking is how it relates to me.

I love that the tree can be tied to Christ, Knowledge, Innocence and Light. To me - those are the reasons for Christmas. Those are the reasons for my traditions. Those are the reasons for my majestic tree.