It’s not Christmas at my house until you put up the tree. We have a big bay window on West Second that is perfect for our tree.
Yes, we’ve made the transition to an artificial tree. I was told it is cleaner, not a fire hazard and decorations go on it more evenly.
But yearning for a real Christmas tree, that smells of cedar, is inherited. The toys of my childhood were always found under a real tree.
I grew up in a house with 12-foot ceilings. That meant when we went looking for a Christmas tree we sought a 12-footer.
For kids reading these lines, the theory goes like this — the bigger the tree, the more presents it needs to keep it from looking so bare.
And some of those trees were real monsters.
I remember cutting one so tall it left brown sap marks on Momma’s white ceiling. She wasn’t too happy about that, but it’s hard to whip youngsters when they’re putting up the Christmas tree.
We also felled one so fat it pricked the arms of five adults as we tried to reach around it.
But as I get older, cutting, hauling and then putting up a real tree gets to be too, much work.
I think I will just splash a little Pine-Sol around the house.
Family Event
Decorating The Tree is definitely a family event and has been since I was a boy.
It was no different this year.
We drank hot chocolate at the kitchen table and then headed into the living room to adorn the tree.
Once the tree was safely and securely up my job was mostly finished, so I just sat on the couch and watched. Sara dragged out at least four big boxes of decorations and smiled that mother-smile as she remembered bygone Christmas’ and younger children with each ornament.
I have an old red plastic bell that was given to me by my mother way before I was a teenager. I always make sure it is hung where I can see it and remember her at Christmas.
The tree was heavily decorated on Daniel's side, but that is a Christmas tradition at my house, too and no cause for concern.
Once the tree was up and outfitted, we turned off the lights and savored the beginning of another Christmas season.
Trees that please
Aside from a Nativity scene, I don’t think there is much else in the world that says Christmas better than a Christmas tree.
We have a tree up at the Press Register, too. Several of the stores downtown have gone to great lengths to spruce up the main drag with their Christmas decorations. We have a photo of the tree downtown on Page One of today’s Clarksdale Press Register.
I hope you have already kicked off the Christmas season by putting up the Yule time greenery at your house.
Think back to the Christmas you remember the best. I dare say it doesn’t revolve around a toy, meal or special gift. At its core is time spent with those you love.
It’s so easy to make a holiday memory — just go looking for a tree.
Floyd Ingram is Editor of your Clarksdale Press Register. The only thing he likes more than telling about Christmas memories is making them. Call him at 662-627-2201 and tell him your Christmas memory.
