When I was young we did not put our tree up until 3 days before
Christmas. My parents were quite strict about that. My mother said that when she was a child the tree always went up on Christmas Eve after the children went to bed. They woke up thinking Santa had brought it. As an adult she must have felt quite modern putting it up so far in advance...
The tree was my mother’s pride and joy. She decorated it herself, no children allowed. Great care was taken to get a tree with the perfect shape and density. They were always beautiful, real works of art. Mom liked to spray the tree with canned "snow" so it looked like it was frosted. It must have been a 1950's thing? No one does that anymore, do they? For a couple of years she covered the tree with "Angel Hair", a fibrous fiberglass material she painstakingly spread over the entire tree, making a spider web effect as it encased the large colored lights. I distinctly remember the fibers got into our clothing and became an itchy mess on our backs. Ouch. It is probably against the law now.
The most amazing part of Mom's tree was the tree topper. It was spun glass featuring a paper angel with foil wings who seemed to be floating in a cloud. I was searching for a new tree topper this year and came across an antique one online just exactly like my Mom's. I didn't buy it; however, I have a picture of it.
The tree was my mother’s pride and joy. She decorated it herself, no children allowed. Great care was taken to get a tree with the perfect shape and density. They were always beautiful, real works of art. Mom liked to spray the tree with canned "snow" so it looked like it was frosted. It must have been a 1950's thing? No one does that anymore, do they? For a couple of years she covered the tree with "Angel Hair", a fibrous fiberglass material she painstakingly spread over the entire tree, making a spider web effect as it encased the large colored lights. I distinctly remember the fibers got into our clothing and became an itchy mess on our backs. Ouch. It is probably against the law now.
The most amazing part of Mom's tree was the tree topper. It was spun glass featuring a paper angel with foil wings who seemed to be floating in a cloud. I was searching for a new tree topper this year and came across an antique one online just exactly like my Mom's. I didn't buy it; however, I have a picture of it.
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| When I was a child I thought this was the most beautiful thing on the tree |
The angel is really pretty. I can see why you liked it. I remember using Angel Hair to decorate too. We weren't allowed to do that part though. I know it's now illegal in some states.
ReplyDeleteI figured it probably was!
DeleteTree decorating in our home was a big deal. Bigger than Christmas! My mom, dad, brother, sister and I decorated it together for about 35 years straight. Spouses and grandchildren joined in as they came along. My mom died in 2011 and sadly, so did the tradition. My dad has since sold the family home and moved out of the city. I am so grateful that we had this tradition. It was always so much fun!
ReplyDeleteWonderful memory, isn't it? My Mom died in 2015. I would give anything to be able to call her and tell her I found a vintage tree topper just like the one she used to have and then send it to her. Sheesh.
DeleteWe never stop missing mom. It's kind of primal, I think. Well, that is if you had a good one.
DeleteMy family put the tree up on Christmas Eve and it was an all day project. My dad used to build a tree (it was always balsam) by drilling holes in it and inserting extra branches. No matter how much he tried though, it always resembled a Charley Brown tree. Then he would spend what seemed like hours testing the lights. Decorating did not begin until after dinner and everyone participated. My mom's angel (called Angie) who also had tin-foil wings, would have a new dress every few years thanks to my mother's sewing skills. My sister has Angie now and we all look at that old ornament with great fondness.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how fond we become of these ornaments. What a lovely story about your family putting up the tree. I really enjoyed it. I would love to see a picture of Angie!
DeleteThree days before Xmas??? My mother would have never tolerated this, not a minute before xmas eve after church.
ReplyDeleteHa! What do you do now?
DeleteChristmas was a seesaw affair during my childhood years. I feel like the tree, when there was one, went up about a week before and came down about a week after. The most distinct memory is tinsel and the cokor wheel. Love these trios down memory lanes.
ReplyDeleteAh, the color wheel! I remember those. Very popular for awhile. I love tinsel. We used it when our daughter was young and she always enjoyed putting it on the tree. I would find strands of it around the house for months afterwards.
DeleteIndeed. Amazing how the stuff seemed to multiply.
ReplyDeleteAngel hair! I remember! From an early age, my mom let me be in charge of decorating. I used the angel hair to create fluffy clouds in which I placed the nativity scene, angels, etc. I loved and feared angel hair as my mom had explained it was made of "spun glass" and that it was "dangerous." How did they spin glass, I wondered. I also loved to create mustaches on my face by pulling a piece of tinsel back and forth across the space above my lips. My mom would give me a new ornament each year in my stocking. Now my daughter and I continue this idea by buying one new ornament a year on our annual trip to Union Square to see the lights. We write the year on the ornament and sometimes try to choose one that reflects events of the year. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteFun memories! Thanks for sharing. Merry Christmas to you, too.
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