When I was small … and Christmas trees were tall

When I was a little girl, I couldn’t wait for my parents to bring in the yearly Christmas tree. While my father ‘planted’ the tree in a bucket filled with earth from the garden and moved it into a corner of the living room, my mother went up to the attic to get the worn and dusty cardboard box in which the Christmas stall, its figurines and the glass decorations for the tree were kept.

The small wooden stall had been handmade by a blind neighbour and was a perfect example of exquisite craftsmanship. It was set up under the tree with a fluffy layer of cotton wool to make it look as if the roof was covered in snow. The 8 centimetres figurines where carefully placed in and around the stable. The ox and the mule went in the back on a layer of fake straw. The crib with baby Jesus was placed in the middle, in front of the animals, because their breath was supposed to keep him warm. Joseph and Mary stood or kneeled beside the crib.

There were three sheep, one of which had only three legs. I don’t know who was responsible for the animal’s handicap. Two shepherds, one carrying a small lamb on his shoulders – maybe he should have carried the lame sheep? - usually occupied the left part of the stable, while the three wise men, stayed outside, as if they were just arriving after following the star that had guided them to their destination.

All the figurines were made of polychrome plaster, except for baby Jesus, who was made of plastic, which made me think that he was probably adopted. Later I learned that the original figurine, being very tiny and fragile, had lost both arms over the years. It had therefore been replaced by a plastic copy.

The tree itself was decorated with glass ornaments and multi-coloured lights. Most ornaments were sphere-shaped but there also were a small beautifully shaped silver teapot and a gold and red lantern. They were my favourites! Sometimes my mother would drape ‘angels’ hair’ over the tree which gave the tree a beautiful frosty glow. The downside however was the itchy feeling you got when handling or touching this ‘angels’ hair’, because was made of glass fibres.

This year's tree with the camera on 'candlelight' settings.

Over the last thirty years my taste in Christmas trees has changed: from a two metres tall life specimen in the eighties, to this year’s wooden cone, decorated with white led lights and shiny silvery stars. Die-hard Christmas tree fans may consider this as a sorry excuse for tree, but I like it. It’s small, simple and yet stylish. And, most important, it does what a Christmas tree is supposed to do: bring light into our homes. After all, in B.C. days, Christmas was a pagan feast, celebrating the winter solstice and marking the return of the light.

The same tree with the camera on 'party' settings.

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

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