The symbol of the season, a fresh-cut evergreen tree, is one I will accept no substitutes for. For as long as I remember, my family has trekked in the freezing cold in search of the perfect tree. Now that I'm married, my husband and I still go with my family but get a tree of our own as well.
In addition to symbols passed down from the yule log tradition, each ornament on my mom and dad's tree, and now on ours, means something. I respect the preference some people have for matchy-matchy sets of color-coordinated ornaments, but my family trees are a mish-mash of antiques, baubles purchased on journeys all over, and even some made in elementary school. Though I am not always a sentimental person, it does give me pause to take each ornament out of its newspaper wrapping and reflect on when and where I came into possession of it. I have ornaments from my travels in Europe, some that were wedding gifts, some passed down from the days when my grandmother lived in a log cabin with no electricity. When I really think about it, I realize that my yearly Christmas tree is in many ways a collection of the symbols of my life.
We're decorating the tree tomorrow, so more pics coming soon!
Enjoy these pictures of 2008's Christmas tree, found at Dirr Nurseries in Goshen, Ohio.
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