The Traditional Christmas Tree
As we head into the month of December I turn my attention to both outdoor and indoor decorating. Fortunately this year the snow has held off so it has been easier to forage for my Christmas greens. I enjoy making wreaths and filling containers with evergreen branches.
I tend to be very traditional when it comes to themes (I guess that shows my age!). Particularly when it comes to decorating the Christmas tree. As we have close family spending Christmas with us we decided on a fresh tree this year. We went to a local tree farm in Vernon BC, (MacKenzie’s Christmas Tree Farm). We were able to pick and tag the tree but did not necessarily have to pick it up straight away. I think this is a great idea if you want to cut your tree down closer to Christmas. Over the years I have collected so many different ornaments, mostly bought, but some given as gifts. I have treasured them dearly. The Christmas tree ends up being a collection of many different kinds of adornments with no conformity but I like it that way. Some ornaments are associated with certain memories. It can be quite nostalgic for me while listening to my favourite holiday music.
Another tradition for me is including forced bulbs with my decor. It is usually a mixture of hyacinths and paperwhites. It is always difficult to get them to bloom exactly around Christmas. In the end though it does not really matter. When they are in bloom it gives me hope for the New Year and the prospect of Spring.
What are your favourite ornaments or traditions? Until next time..
Its lovely to make your own decorations and have memories too. We have had a very transient few years moving about due to rental, but finally this year we have moved into our French barn. Lots to renovate but next year a proper Christmas with all the trimmings. I want to sew my own country style decorations, make paper mache ornaments and we have plenty of holly and ivy and other foliage in our garden for wreaths. At Christmas I love to listen to old medieval music and traditional carols. A special time to think about the past year and make plans for the future.