Christmas trees...what an interesting tradition, interesting for the very thought of cutting one down, bringing it into ones home seems so illogical, getting it cut, lugging it home, dragging it into ones room and having needles scattered all throughout and unceasingly seeking to gather them up, assuming that is, one is using a real living tree....not a little crazy?
Perhaps a little crazy but fun? Maybe the thing is the uniqueness of it all for it most certainly does add an annual touch of excitement of doing something to home decor out of the usual norm, or as some say 'variety is the spice of life'.
Whatever generation of which one has been apart it is noteworthy at just how differently the tree has been adorned. Obviously the Christmas tree has evolved and changed with time, so let's consider a few of them. It's hard for me to consider that the early decorating of the Christmas tree had attached to them, real live candles aflame on the tree! I can never get over the thought of flames setting ablaze the tree and then the house! Does each succeeding generation always exclaim of the one before, "I can't believe they did that!" Edward H Johnson, an associate inventor with Thomas Edison of the light bulb, was known to be the first to electrically illuminate his Christmas tree, in 1882.
It was not until fifty or so years later however that lights became a replacement for candles and maybe it could be said fire departments had more of a Silent Night on Christmas Eve, putting out fires. While there had been various types and sorts of artificial Christmas trees throughout history in the late 1950's there came a new approach; a Christmas tree made from aluminium.
I wonder if its popularity was due to it being the era of man seeking to go to the moon and perhaps it was considered a tree for what many termed the 'space age'. If astronauts' wearing their shining silver suits were ever going to have a tree on board surely its composition would be aluminium.
Personally I was glad to see it was a mere passing fad for as me it created too much of a dazzling effect. Artificial tress of various types and sorts were continually developed and one new interesting innovation came with the lights already attached. Or perhaps some might prefer their tree, with all its branches and needles being themselves fibre optic light strands. This means instead of the tree having lights the tree is a light itself. One good thing with all the wide variety of trees, with the real or artificial from which to choose I'm sure even the Grinch who stole Christmas, may not even know what it is!
With the newest type of upside down Christmas tree i'm sure it would be considered Grinch proof. Perhaps his only conclusion would be such could never be a tree! I'd suggest we're ultimately heading for the best innovation of all, if I might say, coming right out of the holodeck of Star Trek! The hologram tree must be up there in the distant horizon, a tree with no substance, a holographic projection displaying itself in a 3D effect!
You don't want to lug the real or artificial l trees, up and down stairs and are willing to forgo the joys every year of trying to figure out how the putting of it together? How about a tree that your cat can jump on repeatedly and never knock over? If so the hologram tree will be for you! With a simple voice command your tree will appear, doing so in whatever room, or in all rooms for that matter at the same moment in time!
Due to the programming, you'll also will be able to change the tree each night to whatever variety you desire;the space age silver tree, the fibre optic type or maybe even 19th century candle lit variety. The children of the next era will probably be asking, 'How in the world did they only cope with one tree? We've got seven type of trees we can change over to at any moment and I'm wanting to upgrade my programming to include a lot more!" One wonders, if wanting more of everything and all actually moves away from the true meaning of Christmas though. Just in case I think I'll stay with my, 'Lights Already On It', tree'.
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Great article, I love a fesh cut Christmas, with tons of white lights and an Angel on top, no aluminum for me either:))
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Shannonsshanonigins! So you like the freshly cut tree? Well you might be able to buy a spray that makes it smell like that...but then again who knows what chemicals you'd be breathing in :) Yeah might be better to stay with the freshly cut :)
ReplyDeleteI like to drop by to look at the beautiful photography and reflect on the thoughts provided in the text. The aluminum tree w/color wheel looks like it could have come straight out of our family album. Dad brought home one of those ugly things around 1962. Christmas just wasn't the same that year. I'm glad to see the fad died out. I use live trees and then plant them. I started doing this about 25 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the hologram tree!!...What an interesting thought Dad!...However I do think I'd miss my 'lights already on it' tree...I do have fun putting it up each year I think that task is something that puts me into the Christmas mood each year :-)
ReplyDeleteNice article Bob. My favourite tree of course is the "go out in the freezing cold, find a tree, drag it home and work hard to put it up. The smell is so inviting. That was nice when our children were young and at home. But of course we opted for the second best and enjoy a pre-lit, put it up in a minute "kinda" tree. I think the hologram tree is great as long as we still have our second best. We can always have them in different rooms. Enjoyed this and also the pics, Bob :))
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