Visiting with the gals (hey Chris) yesterday got me a few inches deeper in the groove of the Christmas spirit as tales were told of trees already up and trees to be gotten over the next week. It made me realize little ways traditions have changed for us over the years, and apparently continue to change. Funny considering I thought I would be the biggest stickler on keeping the (whatever "the" might be) tradition having grown up in a home where they were not kept or valued at all.
Hearing the girls discuss their coming trips out into the woodlands to get their trees brought back warm fuzzy memories of one of the first traditions we began as a family. Our very own tradition of going on a trail ride on remembrance day to find and mark the special tree with a surveyors ribbon, then going back to cut it down on the first nice day of December.
Sadly, this tradition got laid to rest when we moved to Italy as it is against the law to cut down trees there.... so I clenched my teeth and bought an artifical tree. Having lost one tradition I was bound and determined to begin a new one, so we decided to make that about the decorations more than about the tree. Every decoration was picked with care and had to have something to do with the nativity story, or the story of the fall and redemption of mankind. One night at a time we would devote 15 minutes to discussing/reading verses on a certain aspect of the gospel/nativity and put up the corresponding decorations.
The tree itself represents both the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that was part of man's downfall, and the tree of life, that is part of God's redemption promise to us. The lights represent Jesus being the light of the world, etc. We have fruit to represent the temptation of the fall, angels, harps and horns to represent the joyful annunciation of Jesus birth, and of course the glorious star to top it all off. Every night in the month of December we also take time to sing a couple of Christmas carols so that we can get them all in without getting hoarse. Then on Christmas Eve the kids set out the nativity scene as we tell the nativity story after having celebrated a special family supper with a birthday cake for Jesus.
I thought when we moved home we would for sure go back to a REAL tree, I mean, artificial "just isn't the same" as people say. But somehow we never did. Part of it being due to a unit on conservation Shay and I did together in grade one, probably. It instilled such an awe and appreciation for the fine tuned creation and how we are to care for it and nurture it, appreciate it and use it wisely and carefully. I just couldn't turn a blind eye to millions of healthy natural trees being cut down for a months indoor pleasure (I have no problem with nursery trees grown for that purpose, except for the consumerism aspect). Aside from that, I think I just realized changing the tradition hadn't really changed anything at all. Things were just as warm and fuzzy as before.
This year, it would appear our tradition is about to undergo another transformation.... a BIG one. Me, who cried desperate tears when my mother stopped putting up a tree in favor of a nativity scene, me, who has fought the conservative Italian argument of trees being a pagan practice and WON, now on the eve of foregoing the tree altogether. Gasp. I never could have foretold it, LOL! Truly, we went to start hanging the garland in our huge picture windows last night, carefully positioning candles in the centre of the frame mantles, red berries and golden fruit carefully nestled among the green branches. They look so beautiful, so decorative, and yet so unassuming and gentle.
When I thought about putting up that huge tree that would dwarf a quarter of the room (literally, we have a very small sitting room and a very large tree...) somehow, the lightness in my heart popped and it felt all wrong for the picture. Maybe flylady has affected me more than I know with the keep it simple, do not overdo it, do not let yourself get weighed down by excess, less is more mantras. Truly, I just felt like I would add 1,000 lbs of clutter to that room by putting a tree up. The kids agreed that the garlands were so beautiful and that really, our living room does not afford space for a tree, so that was that. We decided to hange the Christmas tree ornaments on the garland and forego the tree altogether. I am still in shock. Me, the tradition stickler. Like I said, I never could have foretold it. I guess I have come to realize that traditions can evolve over time, and that it does not have to be a sad affair. Actually, I am amazingly elated and my kids are just as sparkly eyed as ever. Life is sweet.
3 comments:
hmmm.... I understand the struggle with clutter, but I'm not sure about this one. What if you put up the tree in your windowed porch?? You would still get to have the significance of the ornaments and scripture, and still be able to enjoy the tree and lights from the dining room table. Just a thought.
Oh, we are still going to do the ornaments and scripture, just hang the ornaments from the garland, and we have lights hanging through the front evergreens that show through the sunporch and dining room/living room windows. It just seems so pretty and right, and the tree feels like it would just be overkill. Actually, I have been feeling like the tree was overkill for a few years already. It just towers and dominates and draws so much attention, while the garland seems to just soften the room in a much more tasteful manner. We did talk about starting an outdoor tree though, mostly because I'll really miss putting the star up! And it can't dominate an outdoor landscape the way it can an indoor room. We thought if it was an outdoor one we wouldn't mind waiting till Christmas Eve Day to do it and that would be a really cool tradition. Fire, Goodies, Egg Nog and a tree decorating party with friends? You in??? :D How was hockey?
Yep, a tree in that room always required a fiar bit of thought and furniture arrangement when we were growing up as I remember it. We are delighted that we will be able to put up a tree this year and NOT have it dwarf our living room.
Do what is right for you, N. Christmas is not about a tree and you will survive without it quite nicely.
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