Do I really want a Christmas tree?
I have been debating this question in my mind as I disassembled ours on the 1st of January after weeks of looking at it and thinking how much better the space will look when it’s down and returned to our attic for 11 months of the year. This year our tree was placed in the garage due to having a puppy and the destruction he would have caused.
A Christmas tree has become a commercial tradition and whilst I love seeing them in malls and airports, having one in our home for 1 month of the year to put Christmas presents under seems pointless and unnecessary. We never had one when we were traveling and even when we returned home, the first tree we purchased was a small topiary which is now a very large hedge at the front of our garden.
A Christmas tree represents the trinity and a symbol of Christ; therefore, Christmas and its tree represent a religious holiday. In my opinion, it’s a massive commercial day where people eat far too much and give presents because someone decided that’s what we do. The only people that benefit from this day are retailers.
I love the idea of thanksgiving where people come together once a year without gifts to enjoy each other’s company and give thanks for the people in their lives. But again, why do we have to do it on someone else’s timeline? Travel is more expensive and chaotic. We buy into these holidays but forget that we have a choice to. On the flip side, whilst Americans celebrate this day, Native Americans mourn. Since the 70’s it’s a day marked in sadness to honor those who lost their lives at the hands of foreign settlers when America was colonized. The other side of the coin is where people may not be aware of but have followed a tradition without questioning why.
We don’t need a tree, however, our daughter would argue that we do because of the presents and she still believes in Santa, something which we agreed as parents to introduce, or maybe didn’t even question. But I want her to know that Christmas isn’t just a day that you get presents. It’s about having a lovely day as a family and doing something we love and eating the foods we love without creating unnecessary stress or work for ourselves. Sometimes that means a day at the lake or watching movies and having cat naps throughout the day. Last year it was attending our first park run so that my husband could sleep after a night shift. A tradition that we would now like to continue and is a CHOICE.
This is another example of knowing and questioning what something means to you and making a CHOICE on whether you want to carry on a tradition that was introduced by your family and the majority of society here in New Zealand or whether you want to create your own tradition that works and has meaning for you.
Not everyone celebrates Christmas and I think we forget that. Why? Because of their religious beliefs or because they have made the choice not to.
I have even been questioning Christmas cards this year, something I have done for as long as I can remember. I love getting mail but when I think of the expense to buy and post something that has short-term satisfaction and will eventually in up in the bin, hopefully, the recycling one, I am considering my options. I feel that now with technology and more choices, I can make more conscious decisions by sending trees as gifts either via email or through little difference or seed cards. That way, the thought of a Christmas card serves a purpose and has a lasting effect, long after I leave this planet.
Lots to ponder and a conversation starter. Ask yourself the question if you celebrate Christmas and put up a tree as to why you do.
Uncovering the simple knowing’s about yourself takes what has been imposed onto you and brought to the forefront of your thoughts so you can then make conscious, informed choices that are your own.