The Christmas Tree - A Lost Tradition

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 Is selecting and cutting down your own Christmas tree a lost tradition?

A Christmas tree lot not far from us
I know many families buy an artificial tree and those that do buy natural trees do so by visiting the many lots that are located in towns and cities during the Christmas season. It is simply a  matter of choosing your tree, agreeing on a price, putting it in the back of your vehicle and off you go to put it up. We have actually done that in the past and have been quite happy with our selection.

But, for the past 5 years we have renewed the tradition of cutting down our own tree. Because we live in the country we could conceivably go into a nearby forest and find our own. Usually you spend a lot of time looking, all you can see are spindly little things and what you finally bring home often disappoints. No, our choice is to select a groomed tree that has been nurtured just for that purpose.

decorating the tree
Luckily for us there is a Christmas tree farm just three minutes from our house and it is there that we have going for the past five years. We are greeted by the owner, taken by tractor to the back of his lot and then we spend a little time looking for just the right tree. Once selected we take the tree down using a small handsaw. The owner comes by in his tractor, loads it up and then back to his house for a little hot chocolate before we leave. His final service to us, because we are neighbours, is to personally deliver the tree to our door.
All decked out

What a great feeling it is to put up a tree that the family has selected for the holiday season.

The first photo shows the family discussing the tree we have chosen, the second is the first stages of decorating and the final shot is the tree in all its glory. Incidentally, in other years we trudge through deep snow to locate our tree. This year we have a very green and mild Christmas season but we still manage to maintain the Christmas spirit.

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