BY Gina D’Amico
Perspectives Editor
Every year, I look forward to getting into the Christmas spirit by decorating for the holidays. Christmas is one holiday that I personally go over the top with when it comes to buying gifts and decorating. Every year, my family has a tradition of going to Jones Tree Farm in Shelton, Conn., and picking out a real Christmas tree. My mom, dad, brother, aunts and uncles all gather at my house the morning of our “Christmas Tree Adventure.” My dad has gotten my family in the habit of never putting up a fake Christmas tree.
As a family, we spend a few hours looking for the perfect sized and well-rounded Christmas tree. One thing my brother and I always do is look for the biggest tree to cut down. Usually, we get a tree that is around thirteen to fourteen feet tall. Although it is a hassle to cut down and put up, my family always looks forward to these traditions. My dad usually brings a trailer to attach to his truck because of how big it is. Every year on the way to get our tree we always listen to Christmas music. Once we find a tree that everyone agrees on we take a holiday card picture in front of the tree. Although traditions can change as you grow up, my family is sure to keep this tradition going.
This year my family and I started our big “Christmas Tree Adventure” early. One thing I love about getting a real tree is the traditions we share every year doing it together. I love the memories of my family coming together and working as a team to find a tree that we all like. Although, initially, we fight sometimes about which tree is good and which is not, we usually end up finding one that makes all of us happy.
The best part about getting a real tree is the comforting smell that fills up my house. Every time I walk in my house, I embrace the smell of the tree. It really puts me in the holiday spirit. I would say that the only good thing about fake trees is that you do not have to worry about the needles stabbing you as you put the lights and bulbs on. Every year I get pricked at least ten times when I put the bulbs on because of how sharp the needles on the tree are!
In addition, I like getting a real tree because it feels like it changes things around a bit. It is always fun to compare the new tree we get to the trees we have had in the past. A fake tree is so repetitive because you just put the same one up every year. My family and friends always look forward to coming to my house for the holidays to see how our tree is going to look. When people walk in they always make a comment comparing it to the last tree we had. The memories and traditions that we create make the experience of getting a real Christmas tree so much better.
