Christmas trees

At 68, I have an unusual view of the progression of the symbol.  When I was very young, 5-6, very few places sold Christmas trees.  We would get ours the way most folks did, you found a field and cut your own.  In our area the white cedar was the usual.

It wasn't until the mid 50's that the Balsam became the tree of choice.  The next intro was the Scotch pine, followed closely by the Douglas fir. Late comers were the Frazier fir and Noble fir.

The other influence was the introduction of the Artificial tree.  In 1958, the Aluminum tree was introduced.

I have never had an artificial tree in my home.  My wife and I agree, we would rather not have one, if we couldn't do a real tree.

Different regions have their own traditions, I'd like to hear about them from others

The High lonely lonesome is my tree. The circle and the brothers are my church. The stones found on the mountainside, at 10-5, my altar.

Christ is with me all the year long. The question remains... is whether or not I remember that.

I try and often fail. For that reason purgatory no doubt looms.

The board of alderman of the town adjacent to mine are presently having a dispute over what to call the tree that's been traditionally set up in front of their city hall, a tradition going back many, many years. For the past few years, they've referred to it as a "holiday tree". But several  aldermen introduced a resolution a couple of weeks ago to return to calling it a "Christmas tree". Other aldermen are opposed.  (This all has to do with political correctness and increasing religious and ethnic diversity within the city.)  The aldermen still haven't reached agreement, and are now quite upset with each other.

I had no tree this year. And very pretty it was too!