I’m a big fan of Christmas, albeit I approach the holiday more secularly than the manner in which I was raised. Growing up with a practicing-Catholic mom, ‘Midnight’ mass on Christmas Eve and/or Sunday morning post-Santa services were always on the program. For at least a couple of years, I ended up playing Mary in our church’s live(ish) nativity scene, kneeling by an empty bassinet along with a Joseph, a blanket draped over my head, hands crossed, during mass. Was I supposed to feel something? I thought, sitting quietly at the altar. It all felt as performative as as it was, and once my Mom gave me a choice in the matter, church-going became a thing of the past.
A far more interesting choice to make each Christmas was helping select a tree. While everyone else my siblings and I knew were hauling home farm-grown trees on top of their cars, we scouted around our property or the neighboring, as-yet undeveloped 20-acres for suitable options. For months in advance, we assessed the available Monterey Pine and Oak, Madrone and Doug Fir with careful consideration. We needed to look for something young, usually the trees I didn’t notice at first, that would actually fit under our roof. Outside, they always appeared much smaller than they actually were.
Once we settled on tree, Dad sawed it down, and we dragged it down the hill and into the living room. Monterey Pines were the most abundant evergreen around so that’s what we usually ended up with, even though their branches tended to be oddly spaced. We twirled and twirled the tree until we agreed about which side looked best facing out. The one year we found a perfectly uniform Doug Fir, we marveled all season about how it didn’t have a bad side. Then came the tinsel strands, blinking lights and any glass ornaments that had survived the previous 12 months of storage.
While I no longer scout for them on rural properties, or even cut them down, I still love getting a tree. I noticed earlier in the month, that Alameda Natural was selling micro-size live trees near the cash register and we picked one up last week. It’s not particularly uniform, but a few red and silver ornaments and strands of lights and voila.
This past weekend was a bit of a holiday-gig marathon playing at several community holiday events. We learned a handful of Christmas songs for the various occasions, and I felt a bit like a bird flitting around the Bay Area singing ‘Sleigh Ride’ and ‘Christmas Time’s a Coming’ amid the mix of our usual songs. But we didn’t tackle ‘O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum),’ which was originally based on a traditional folk song and had nothing to do with Christmas. There are many versions ‘O Christmas Tree’ now out in the world. I appreciate that, in most cases, the first two (or more) verses are all about the tree:
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!
Not only green in summer’s heat,
But also winter’s snow and sleet.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are your branches!O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
Of all the trees most lovely;
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
Of all the trees most lovely.
Each year you bring to us delight
With brightly shining Christmas light!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
Of all the trees most lovely.O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
We learn from all your beauty;
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
We learn from all your beauty.
Your bright green leaves with festive cheer,
Give hope and strength throughout the year.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas tree,
We learn from all your beauty.
I love the visit to your Christmas past! That sounds lovely. I too love Christmas for the custom of decorating. Sadly, our tiny house has grown so full of our books and other stuff we don’t have room for a tree except the tabletop variety. Looking forward to Christmas Day zoom with you.