Query: Chistmas Trees

[mizarchivist]

I'm not a practicing Christian- or even a practicing non-Christian Unitarian, but I still acknowledge $WinterHoliday. I have been known to sing a few carols, particularly if I'm at my Aunt's (the one in NY). Cookies: a must. However, since I moved out of my mom's house, I've never had a tree. [Poll #1091341][Poll #1091341]

Comments

Sometimes a tree is just a tree...

[catness.livejournal.com]

I like trees. They smell yummy and they look pretty. That being said, they are a pain in the ASS. :)

Trees in my house are not about Christian or non-Christian ceremonies. Just about a festive place under which to put presents. :)

Re: Sometimes a tree is just a tree...

[mizarchivist]

And in fairness, it can be a Pagan thing- I'm *sure* someone will choose to point this out. I've yet to live in a place where the desire to get a tree and having a place to put it coinside.

[feste-sylvain.livejournal.com]

I'm a quasi-practicing Pagan, so I often put up a tree. I don't know whether we will this year, because we're going to my parents' house for Yule itself, and we have new kittens in the house who would do their level best to destroy any ornamentation we leave them with.

[tamidon.livejournal.com]

hmm,I was assuming we would,since we're having a tree trimming party open house,butwe don't have to.

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

How about for those of us who aren't religiously OR culturally christian, but A) are married to the latter and B) like the smell of pine? :)

[mizarchivist]

why isn't really the debate, just the binary of yes/no

[deadwinter.livejournal.com]

EDIT: And yes--- Pagans -heart- trees, too. I knew that, but I'm space-case today.

And? I thought your question was simple enough?

[mizarchivist]

Never underestimate the power of the pedantic geek.

[deadwinter.livejournal.com]

gah! Snowflakes! All different!

[cutieperson]

we sometimes put up a fake tree with random decorations. but not always.

It's true, I'm one of those

[amber-phoenix.livejournal.com]

I put up a Yule tree - it's important to me that it's not a "Christmas" tree, but I'm sure most wouldn't notice the difference.

[beowabbit]

I don’t, myself, but I love real pine trees — until people cover them up with glittery gunk.

I just don’t see how you can improve upon a pine tree.

I have been tempted to get a Christmas tree, put it up, and not decorate it. I love the smell. Then again, with living trees that haven’t been cut down, you can enjoy the smell over and over again, all year round.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

How about a small potted pine, that you could plant in your yard when spring comes? That way you'd get pine smell all through the whole winter, not just Christmas. :-) I had one of those one holiday season. I watered it all winter in it's pot, and in May, my friend and I planted it. That was almost 20 years ago. I hope it's a huge tree now!

[mizarchivist]

Emphasis on "huge tree." We did about 3-4 years early on when I was a kid with potted trees and they consumed the yard by the time I was a teenager

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

Instead of planting it in the yard, you could take it to a national park or something. They always need more trees, right? I'm surprised there aren't already nonprofits doing this, we kill so many trees every year.

[docorion.livejournal.com]

Last year the three of us put up our first 'family' tree. It was a really nice family moment which spoke to all of our childhood family memories. We even went to a farm to cut it down. It was very Currier and Ives :-)

So I put up a tree not so much for the Christian mythos, but because it evokes nice memories of family Christmases past. Ho, Ho, Ho. We're making plans to do it again this year.

Episcopalian Traditionalist to the Hilt that I am...

[kebbykate.livejournal.com]

We not only put a tree (as you'd expect)--we go and cut it down fresh. But not until Advent 3.

I despise "coordinated" trees where the ribbon matches the balls matches the skirt and there's a theme and no ornament is unique. Ours is a collection of deliberately chosen ornaments. I usually pick up one or two on vacations and daytrips. It's nice way to look back. "That's from when we went to Ellis Island, Mount Vernon, Uncle Rick brought that from Maui, cad_red_ducati got that one in the Bahamas, etc."

It's a totally pagan practice, but one I'm perfectly happy to perpetuate...

I get that

[mizarchivist]

My mom and I made salt dough ornaments which we'd paint with acrylics. Most of them were dancing ladies, go figure! I have no idea how many of them survived to present day.
In other words: I concur. Trees shouldn't be "coordinated." Bleh!

Re: I get that

[gamehawk.livejournal.com]

My mother was really happy to dump all the accumulated ornaments on me so she could start decorating what I called her department-store tree. Mauve. I ask you.

My mother-in-law went with a purple and silver tree for a year or so, then went "meh" and decided to do a cat-ornament tree. It's fun chiefly because it's a big (artificial) tree and we've had a couple of years of hunting down cat ornaments. No two are alike (though some differ only in color).

Now if the real cat wouldn't keep mistaking the ornaments for cat *toys*...

Re: I get that

[kebbykate.livejournal.com]

Ooh, salt dough ornaments! I hadn't thought of those, my girls are exactly the right ages now to both be capable of doing them and to enjoy doing so....must go research...

(I've made cinnamon dough ornaments in the past--they don't last so long, but they smell heavenly. Let me know if you want the recipe--it's basically bulk cinnamon, applesauce and Elmer's glue, mix into a stiff dough, chill, roll out, and cut out. You have to give them a few weeks to dry and remember to cut your hanger holes.)

[taura-g.livejournal.com]

I love putting up a tree and decorating in general...I tend to have a cross of Thanksgiving/$WinterHoliday decorations up at our Annual Gathering...

It's just a fun thing to do for us.

[gothtique.livejournal.com]

Hanukah bush, yule log... whatever the hell you want to call it...
knot_frayed will celebrate any holiday you can decorate for!

[gamehawk.livejournal.com]

Practicing Christian, but I kind of think of Christmas trees (and, in fact, most Christmas stuff) as orthogonal.

Some years we put a tree up and never get around to decorating it, but I checked "yes."

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I love Christmas trees, and I get a lovely one when I go to my family's house for the holiday. But back home, I have two cats. They would utterly destroy it. :-(

[virtuallykayla.livejournal.com]

I practice my atheism religiously, Yet I celebrate Giftmas with glee.
Especially this year that I have so much to celebrate. I love a pretty giftmas tree.

Icon placed solely for your enjoyment.

Icon Love

[mizarchivist]

YUM. Thank you :-)

[zonereyrie.livejournal.com]

I can't be arsed. I haven't had a tree since I left home for college, unless some roomie put one up. And the only one of those I can remember was a 2-foot (or so) tall plastic tree that Gryph has that we had up 365 days a year on top of the entertainment center - just because.

[mrf-arch.livejournal.com]

My tree is synthetic, so I dunno if it realy counts. :-)

[isabelluna.livejournal.com]

Yes, but see mine is a Nightmare before Christmas tree. I mean that literally it is a black tree decorated with said ornaments. It goes up in September and comes down in the new year. :)