30 Nov Holiday Traditions by Pete Muroski
The holiday season is here, and it began, for some, just after Halloween. The season neatly flows from Thanksgiving to Christmas and into the New Year. Long before we celebrated the holiday season as we know it, the Winter Solstice was the celebration of the season.
Winter Solstice falls on December 21, the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the shortest daylight day of the year. After the 21st, daylight increases a few minutes per day through winter and spring. Native Americans and early Europeans celebrated the slow return of daylight each year. Traditional festivals with fire, food and natural decorations were all part of this late December celebration. Holly, pine, spruce, and winterberry were used to decorate around the home. The tradition of bringing a tree inside the home evolved over time and gained popularity. The Christmas tree, wreaths, pine roping and lights were all added to brighten the season.
The Christmas tree, as a holiday tradition and the symbolic use of evergreens goes back to ancient Egypt, Rome and Germany. According to historians, German Prince Albert and Queen Victoria were sketched in the Illustrated London News standing with their children around a Christmas tree.
Queen Victoria was very popular with her subjects, and what was done at court immediately became fashionable – not only in Britain, but with fashion-conscious East Coast American Society. The Christmas tree had arrived and was introduced to America in the 1800’s.
By the 1890s Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S. It was noted that Europeans used small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas trees to reach from floor to ceiling.
The lighting of the tree has transitioned from candles to LED lights. LED lights allow us to add as many lights as possible without, for the most part, overloading the electrical system. The color choices are endless. Each year I create a holiday theme that dictates the light color I will be working with that season. My favorite classic look to choose are white or clear lights for tree lighting and use within the landscape. Multi-colored will also work well. Before LED lights, the incandescent multi-colored lights had some of the best color strings.
Early white LED lights were somewhat of an ice blue color, not the soft, warm white illumination that traditional string lights give us. The current LED white and color strings are nearing the traditional soft colors we are accustomed to seeing. Straight color lights such as green, gold and red can be used and look sharp in many holiday themes. When Native Landscapes and Garden Center was called upon by the Pawling Chamber of Commerce to decorate the Village of Pawling, it was decided that we decorate the Village Christmas tree next to the Chamber building with a slightly different color theme each year. One year, we tried a mix of clear and soft green lights on the Village tree. That combination looked spectacular. In 1997, Dutchess County Tourism Holiday of Lights presented the Village of Pawling with a 1st place award for Best in Lighting.
The type of tree for inside holiday display is also an important choice. Spruce and Pine trees will drop needles much faster than Fir trees. Fir trees are the best needle retainers. Frasier Fir is a very popular Christmas tree, and its dark green color and stiff branching makes it a great tree for heavy ornaments. Balsam Fir has the best aroma of all. This tree will keep its holiday season, evergreen scent for most of December. Concolor Fir has more of a blue-green needle color and when the wood is exposed to the indoor air, it has a citrus-like smell. Douglas Fir has a similar look to Balsam Fir but is less aromatic. When the cut tree has finished its display inside, it can be set up outside along the edge of the woods or close to a bird feeder. Birds will take cover in the tree during cold, snowy and windy winter weather.
There is nothing like the smell and look of a fresh cut Christmas tree in our home. The tree should have the look, feel and smell of an evergreen forest. Make sure the tree is fresh. Are the needles holding tight? Is it flexible? Do the needles bend or break? Is the tree the right color? Is it starting to yellow or droop? It is important that the base of the tree is submerged in water as soon as possible. A fresh base cut needs to be made to the tree minutes before it is set in the tree stand. The tree will drink a substantial amount of water the first few days. Check the tree stand water twice per day for the first few days and then once daily thereafter. Keep the tree out of full sunlight and away from a heat source.
A cut tree or live tree versus artificial is always a question that is answered by how long the tree will be on display. If the plan is to keep the tree up for more than three weeks, I would go with an artificial tree. Artificial trees are now made with fire-retardant materials and look more life-like than ever before.
The most environmentally friendly method of Christmas tree display is the live tree. The live tree comes with a root ball or grown in a container whereby, after the holiday season can be planted outside. If the intent is to plant the tree outside after the holiday season, five days is the maximum time this tree should spend inside. Leaving the tree inside longer will trick the tree into spring and it will start to bud inside the house. Dig a hole in the yard that will be wide enough to fit the root ball of this tree. The soil from that hole should be stored in the garage or in any space where the temperature will not get below freezing. When the tree goes from inside to outside, the weather should not be too extreme. If the weather is cold and snowy when you plan to plant the tree outside, it is better to hold the tree in the garage, shed or barn until the weather and soil is not frozen. Make sure the cold storage area is not heated. If you decide to go with a ball and burlap tree, consult with a local garden center expert to guide you through this process.
Wreaths are another popular item. The choice between live and artificial wreaths is also dependent on exposure to direct sunlight. I very much prefer a real wreath for outdoor display on the door, blank walls or barn sides. A big, red bow with white lights and possibly a few natural berries always looks good and provides a classic look, especially outside where the birds can feed on the berries. Do not skip on the lights! Roping, kissing balls and wreaths all work well together. Inside the house, always go artificial.
Framing the garage or roof line with white lights will also look great. With this application always use larger white or clear lights. I recommend consulting with a professional before getting on the roof.
Decorate early in the season. Some years winter settles in early, and you will want the decorations in place before the snow falls and the ground freezes. When planning our decorating strategy, it is important that safety comes first. May your Christmas be white and your New Year bright.
Happy Holidays from Pete and The Natives!
Pete Muroski is the owner of Native Landscapes and Garden Center. He is an educator, writer, ecologically friendly designer and native plant nurseryman. He can be reached at pe**@***************ng.net