Christmas Trees Galore

By

Gerry Niskern

All types of trees have come and gone over the years. How many do you remember?

Years ago,  enterprising tree dealers started flocking trees white for a little extra charge. Everyone had to have one of the “snow” covered beauties. I have a friend from the Philippines who remembers as a child trying to create a similar tree. They found a large branch, striped it, painted it white and glued little globs of cotton all over the “snowy” branches.

How about the trees that “snowed”? Snowflakes blew out the top of the tree and settled down on the branches. The extra flakes fell into a large cone at the bottom and were shot up inside the trunk  and out at the top, to “snow” again.

Then came the aluminum “put together” trees. They couldn’t take lights so they came with a revolving spot light. One was sent to a couple I know who were stationed in Saudia Arabia. When they invited an Arabian family to share their Christmas dinner, their little boys kept removing the shiny tree branches to play sword fighting.

Another couple told me of being stationed overseas and scuba diving often. One day they spotted a beautiful chunk of coral shaped like a Christmas tree. They managed to get it up and take it home where they soaked and cleaned it. They strung lights on it for Christmas. It went with them wherever they were transferred and the tree always remained part of their Christmas.

One friend who grew up here tells me that they couldn’t afford a tree, but the kids in the family always found a tumble weed to bring home and decorate with popcorn and homemade paper ornaments for their Christmas.

Some lucky longtime residents will remember taking their children to see the huge yuletide tree in downtown Phoenix in the middle of the intersection of Central and Washington Street. The magnificent fir stood atop a large box platform and the trolleys that traveled Washington passed by on either side.

Of course, the trees you will remember best were the ones that when you woke up on Christmas morning and smelled pine in the chilly air, and  you knew.  You raced barefooted across the cold floor and there it stood in glorious splendor complete with twinkling lights, shiny ornaments and tons of icicles.

Sure enough, Santa had come down your chimney with presents and……a Christmas tree.