Powered by Tomorrow.io
Christmas Tree Day – The Michigan Weather Center
MichiganState Weather Alerts
There are currently no active weather alerts.
  • Home
  • /
  • Christmas Tree Day

Christmas Tree Day

 

 

Back when I was a kid one of the family traditions, we had was decorating the Christmas tree on December 18th. Ok some years it might have been a day or two before the 18th but the 18 was the day on most years.  That was the day my mother’s family had handed down to her through her parents family. I am not sure of what my dad’s tree decoration tradition was as I do not recall him saying much about it. Of course putting the tree they meant that you first had to go and get a tree. So that was a trip to where trees were sold. At that time there were always many locations where one could buy a Christmas tree (a real one that is) So we would go to several tree lots and look over the tree selection trying to find the prefect tree. So, we would and look over the trees for shape and lack of bare spots. It could not be too short nor too tall. Has to have a some what straight trunk and when shook not drop too many needles. Once we picked out our tree we would take it home and as most were bundled up my dad would cut a inch or two off the bottom of the trunk and maybe a few low branches from the bottom. He would then put the tree in the tree stand and let it stand in the garage for a day or two. My mom would clear out a spot near the front window to place the tree. Then we would bring the tree in and place a white sheet on the floor (to make it look like snow?) and then we would bring out the lights and unravel them and then test them to make sure they still worked. Remember back then they were not the little lights we have now but they were big lights that got real hot. Some sets were wired so that if one light burned out the whole set would not work. Then there were the ones that would work even with some of the lights burned out. After testing and replacing the lights that needed it then the lights were placed on the tree. Then the other ornaments were place on the tree. Some of the ornaments were from my grandmother my mom kept very good care of them. I still have many of my moms old Christmas ornaments of course the tree lights are now of the newer type. The tree once place would stay up until a day or two after New Years Day.

While there were artificial trees when I was young they were mostly of the aluminum kind and you could not put lights on them so they had a thing that changed colors that would shine on to the tree. My dad did not like that kind of tree and he let everyone know it. Of course now I have a artificial tree that we put up and it must be around 20 years old or so. I had thought of replacing the tree this year but when I checked the prices, I did not know I was going to buy a used car. So we once again have the old tree up and might look for a new one after Christmas when the prices should come down.

Currently the chances of a white Christmas are not all that good. And there is a good chance that this will be the 3rd  green Christmas in the last 4 years and the 6th green Christmas in the last 10 years. (last year there was just 1” reported) So it can be said that we have had a kind of snow drought for Christmas recently.

 

The updated CPC long range guess for the rest of the winter is now leaning toward a warmer/wetter weather pattern. Here is the December guess

https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/lead14/index.php

And the JFM guess

https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/seasonal.php?lead=1

Slim

newest oldest
*SS*
*SS*

Slim,
Thanks for sharing your history with us. Your big bulb thing reminds me of a story (Michael you need to get it for your wife)… It is called Twas the Night before the Night before Christmas!!! It is good for a giggle and we read it every year!!!

INDY
INDY

Over a inch of snow on the ground out in my hood looks very pretty outside…InDY

Rocky (Rockford)
Rocky (Rockford)

Current conditions = Cold and SNOW! Incredible!

Mark (East Lansing)
Mark (East Lansing)

That’s a really nice story. Thanks for sharing, Slim. We used a sheet under the tree when I was young. Mom said it kinda looked like snow, but also was helpful in catching the needles. We have always had real trees…until last year. We were all so sick with Covid that we were unable to get out to get a tree. Some friends of ours got wind of our plight and brought us an artificial tree that they didn’t use anymore. It is the perfect size and shape for our living room. It is a beautiful tree. We are grateful… Read more »

MichaelV (Otsego)

I remember the aluminum trees, they had a rotating disc which changed the tree colors. We use an artificial tree now, don’t like all the needles all over the floor.
We have 30 degrees with freezing rain now, looks to be a quarter-inch of snow on the ground.
comment image
This is our Weather Centers precipitation depiction – red is freezing rain, the blue is snow