O Tannenbaum, O Christmas Tree
The Christmas Tree Reader Survey is here. Plus: a collection of Christmas movie reviews and the most dangerous Christmas song to drive to.
Two issues in one week? Yes, it’s true.
I’m very excited to share this week’s edition of “The Christmas Cache,” which features your Christmas trees. Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey. It was a joy to read about how and why you decorate, as well as insight on your favorite ornaments, color schemes, and traditions. In the interest of space and time, I couldn’t include every answer to the survey, but I hope you’ll enjoy what was added to this newsletter.
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
Kourtney J., fake tree, woodland Christmas
What kind of colors do you prefer for your Christmas tree? White with berry red accents.
Are there any themes you like to stick to when decorating? Woodland Christmas
How would you describe your Christmas tree theme or style? I have a very realistic tree with pinecone and berries. I use only white or clear bulbs and have lots of owls ornaments. I also use lots of twig fillers. I want my tree to look like it was in the woods and some random person just decided to decorate it.
What is your favorite ornament and why? All of my owls are my favorite. I refuse to chose one.
Kristen K., real and fake trees, party time
What did your Christmas tree look like growing up? We had a real tree until my dad claimed to have an allergy (he didn't want to clean up the pine needles) and we started having a fake tree. We decorated it with a mish-mosh of aluminum ornaments and various collected ornaments over the years.
How has your adult Christmas tree changed since you started decorating for yourself? For years, I got a real tree especially when we had our annual holiday party Holidazzle in pre-pandemic pre-children years. But now we use the fake palm tree from the last Holidazzle ("Tropidazzle") as our tree every year and still put lights and ornaments on it - especially the disco balls. I miss having a real tree, but it seems like inviting chaos to have one with toddlers.
Willa J., fake tree, traditional Christmas
What did your Christmas tree look like growing up? It varied. Once, we had an aluminum tree with a color wheel that changed the color of the tree. I didn’t like it, but it was the tree to have in the sixties. We went back to the regular green tree after that.
What is your favorite ornament and why? My Black angels.
What do you think your Christmas tree says about who you are as a person? I love to make others feel good about the holiday and the joy it brings. I’m a people pleaser, even though not many people see my actual tree.
Why do you like decorating your Christmas tree? Why is it important to you? It brings me into the Christmas spirit and has always been a tradition in the family. Love the feeling I get when the tree brings out the holiday magic’s lights illuminating the room during the dull winter months.
Tiffani H-P., fake tree, traditional Christmas
What did your Christmas tree look like growing up? Except for that time Momma wanted a white tree with gold ornaments and one time we had a real tree complete with ants, we always had a green artificial tree, strung with multicolored lights, C9 or C6 bulbs, and a mix of store-bought and school-made ornaments. Occasionally, my little brother and I would string popcorn and add it. I loved our trees when we were growing up.
What kind of colors do you prefer for your Christmas tree? A mixture! I don't do "sad beige" or monochromatic. It's all or nothing.
Why do you like decorating your Christmas tree? It reminds me of my childhood and now my daughter's childhood. When she was little, we talked about the ornaments we got for her each year--they were based on something she did or a trip we took. Soccer cleats her first year of soccer. Lots of ballerinas. A little house for her first apartment. Keys the year she got her first car. Decorating the tree is a trip back in time. Now, with my Dad gone, his memories are added.
What do you love most about your Christmas tree? The lights. Every night before bed, I turn off the prelit LEDs and just look at the incandescent C9 strands I added. The glow makes me feel warm and cozy and a little hopeful.
Jamie H., real and fake trees, vintage
What did your Christmas tree look like growing up? We always had a mix of handmade ornaments and store bought - we were lucky enough to be gifted an entire tree’s worth of crocheted ornaments and an angel topper from my great grandmother.
What is your favorite ornament and why? I have a bottle of champagne that I got from a local glass blower. I’m a champagne-for-any-reason girl, but this time of year calls for celebrating.
What do you think your Christmas tree says about you as a person? It’s a mixed bag that winds up looking very put together in the end, just like me!
Joe E., fake tree, traditional Christmas
How old were you when you put up a tree of your own as an adult? I never put up a tree in college, but after I graduated, I lived with roommates for a few years who put up a tree. Then, once I started dating my spouse, we put up a tree each year together. So, 24?
How has your adult Christmas tree changed since you started decorating for yourself? Our tree is much more maximal than the one we had growing up.
Why do you like decorating your Christmas tree? Why is it important to you? Decorating the tree is the start of the holiday season in our home. It brings warmth and joy to the house. We love looking at each ornament as we put it on the tree and remembering where we were in life when we got it.
What do you think your Christmas tree says about who you are as a person? I think it shows that we don’t take life too seriously but that we still like to honor and remember traditions.
Rupa J., fake tree, a mix of classic modern and whimsy
What did your Christmas tree look like growing up? It varied over the years. In the early to mid-90s, there was more of the silver garland, bright ornaments, maybe even multi-colored Christmas lights? But once my sister took over as Creative Director for our family events and holiday aesthetic, the tree went a more classic route: White lights, red and gold themed ornaments, specific family memory ones, and I think it had vertical ribbons as garland. We always had massive trees, too (like, 8-10 feet), when we'd get them fresh or when we eventually switched to pre-lit ones.
What do you think your Christmas tree says about who you are as a person? I think it shows that even though I'm a control freak about garland, my tree really just tells a story of who I am, my hobbies, the places I live, anything I find beautiful. It may sound silly, but beauty is something I think about a lot. It's in everything I own, wear, seek out in the world, particularly with nature (and most of my tree shows how much beauty I find in nature, specifically), and ultimately, I just want the beauty I source in and around my life to bring joy to others when they see it, too.
Shanna S., real and fake trees, traditional Christmas
What kind of colors do you prefer for your Christmas tree? Multi colored! Color here color there, color everywhere!
Why do you like decorating your Christmas tree? Why is it important to you? I love sparkle, nostalgia, and light during the darkness of winter.
What is your favorite ornament and why? It’s a snowflake made of fucks from my cousin. She sent it to me during the pandemic.
What do you love most about your Christmas tree? How safe it makes me feel.
John K., real and fake trees, traditional Christmas
Why do you like decorating your Christmas tree? Why is it important to you? For me, it is important for me to decorate the christmas tree like how I grew up to remember the times I had with my Mom. Those memories will never be forgotten.
What is your favorite ornament and why? I made an ornament for my Mom and it's a picture of me and my Mom made in Kindergarten. Still exists (at my mom's house).
What do you love most about your Christmas tree? It's up from Thanksgiving till new years :)
See
Make or Bake Christmas: I have not seen this yet, but it stars Jackee and Vivica A. Fox, so it deserves a chance on that cast alone. According to Lifetime, Leslie (Vivica A. Fox), known for her domestic lifestyle brands, sets her sights on expanding her business and acquiring Sugar Bakers, a bakery owned by owned by Denise Sugarbaker (Jackée Harry) and run by her son, David (Landon Moss). Now streaming, Lifetime.
Private Princess Christmas: I swear, once we pass Thanksgiving weekend, the channels and streamers start pumping out their most unhinged movies. And this new Hallmark Channel film seems to fit the bill. In the film, Princess Violet of Wingravia (Why do all of these movies use “—avia” or “—ovia” for their fake European countries? Is this a screenwriting rule?) is sent to an intense leadership boot camp in Colorado by the Queen. If she doesn’t complete it, she will lose the throne to her uncle. WHAT?! And yet … I have passing curiosity and gifts to wrap, so I will be watching. Dec. 6, 8pm on Hallmark.
Three Wiser Men and a Boy was cute, though I wasn’t a fan of how two of the brothers’ relationships felt sidelined. The mother of the “boy” from the film is conveniently gone in both films (which made the premise work in the first one, not so much for this one), yet we never really got a thorough examination of how her and Andrew Walker’s character got together. Feels like a plot hole to me. Regardless, I still enjoyed it. Now streaming, Hallmark.
During Thanksgiving, I introduced my sister to Ghosts of Christmas Always, one of my favorite Hallmark Christmas films. Unlike the traditional Hallmark film set-up, this one is a take on A Christmas Carol, one of my favorite seasonal stories. The romance is an added bonus and the leads actually have chemistry. Now streaming, Hallmark+ and Prime.
But did any of y’all watch the Chiefs Christmas movie on Hallmark? I refuse, even though I like both actors.
Ever since I started this newsletter, I’ve been getting the most random press releases. One I received this week included this nugget of information: A new study by the South China University Of Technology found that songs with a BPM (Beats Per Minute) of over 120 lead to more dangerous driving habits. For the Christmas season, that means "Frosty The Snowman" is the most dangerous at 172 BPM.
Speaking of music, apparently Britney Spears’s “My Only Wish (This Year)” is “social media’s favorite song.” I don’t buy it, especially with Brenda Lee and Mariah always in the mix. And if we’re speaking of contemporary tracks, I feel like that honor would maybe go to Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree.”
“Tacky” Christmas is in. But looking at the images from this Washington Post article, I think it looks lovely. *ducks and hides*
ICYMI: Check out my Shop Small gift list from the last issue.
And one final thought … until next time!
Thank you for sharing all these lovely trees and stories. Such joy!