Mid-December, from the series
by Richard G. Mills
Christmas Tree, O! Christmas Tree?
Every year a little before Christmas time,
I begin to think about whether this is the year to go with an artificial
Christmas tree. I mean, bringing in a "live" tree and watching it
die during the next couple of weeks is not the cheeriest aspect of the season.
The concept of "Kill a tree for Christ"
has never set real well with me. I suppose one can equate it with the
sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, and I comprehend the "evergreen"
as symbol of eternal life through Christ, but where is the resurrection of
that once beautiful Christmas tree we now set out by the side of the street to
be picked up for mulching? Well..., maybe the mulch will give new life to
other plants; but, still, there's always something depressing about the dying
tree -- especially after the season is over and the tree must be taken down.
So, perhaps this is the year to buy that
artificial tree. Of course, now that I think about it, last year was
the year to buy it -- a day or two after Christmas, when it was on sale for
about half of what it will cost today! But last year, a day or two
after Christmas, the last thing on my mind was going out and plunking several
bills down on an artificial Christmas tree! And there was certainly no room
on my credit cards for it; after all, it was only a couple of days after
Christmas!
There are things to be said for an
artificial Christmas tree. First of all, the needles don't shed. Of course,
purists will protest that there's nothing like the wonderful outdoorsy, fresh
pine aroma of a real Christmas tree, especially when you first bring it
into the house. But, come to think of it, I don't know what they do to
Christmas trees nowadays, but it's been years since I've been able to
detect the slightest hint of pine smell from my "real"
Christmas tree.
Or is it just another loss of growing
older? Loss of hair, loss of hearing, loss of memory, loss of smell...? But
I still have all my hair (and a little more, if you count my nose and body!);
and my hearing is..., huh? What did you say? Oh. Where was I?
Second, if you spend enough money, who
will really notice whether it's a "real" tree or not? I'm not sure
a year has gone by when someone hasn't come up to my "real"
Christmas tree -- so close as to practically poke an eye out on a needle --
and said, "Is this a real tree; or is it artificial?" And
besides, when was the last time you saw a Christmas tree with real
candles on it? My mother tells about her childhood Christmas trees that had
burning candles on them (and we often wonder how anyone, and their houses, ever
survived old-fashioned Christmases!).
And chances are, glass Christmas balls were
originally apples, pears, and oranges. And isn't tinsel "artificial"
icicles? So maybe "artificial" is more traditional, today, than
"real."
Third, the tradition of going out on the
coldest day of the season (how does the weather always know to turn a gusty
subzero on the day I've chosen to go Christmas-tree shopping?) to hunt for
that special, perfect tree can be replaced with going up to the attic,
locating the "artificial" tree, and bringing it down to the living
room.
And the tradition of bringing in the real
tree, cutting the base, and struggling an hour or two with the tree stand can
be replaced with the tradition of removing the artificial "branches"
and "trunk" from the box and struggling an hour or two trying to get
the darn thing together!
Fourth, and perhaps most important, when
the season is over, you don't have that depressing task of dishonorably
stripping the decorations from the dead soldier of a tree that bravely gave
its life so you could have a happy Christmas. You simply remove the
ornaments, dismantle the tree, and put them all away in eager anticipation of
seeing them again next year!
And do we even have to mention Fifth,
there aren't any needles to sweep up! Although one could argue there is
nothing like an August ramming of an errant last year's Christmas tree needle
up under the nail of your right big toe, personally, I could do without those
omnipresent Christmas tree needles -- on the floor, in the carpet, under the
cushions of the couch.... They're everywhere, they're everywhere! And even
(or especially) the vacuum can't suck them up!
Then again, I've always had a real
tree, and they probably are prettier than an artificial tree, and,
considering my star-topped tree has to touch the ceiling and fill the
bay window, I probably can't afford as nice an artificial tree as I'd like
right now, just before Christmas, and all, when they're most expensive and
I've overspent my Christmas-present budget once again and still have several
presents yet to buy.... Well..., maybe I'll get that artificial tree next
year!
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