The Perfect Christmas Tree

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!
How lovely are thy branches…¹

Christmas tree decorated by Christmas Decor London

It is getting around that time of year, when thoughts turn to decorating your house for the holidays. At CLC, we have decorated the exterior of many fabulous homes and businesses already, like the one seen here, but how many of you have decorated the insides of your homes yet? I am talking about wreathes for doors, nativity scenes and of course the most important item of them all – the Christmas Tree.

While the rise of artificial trees is seen as a convenience and money-saver for some, real Christmas trees hold a magic that just cannot be denied. The rich smell of a live Scots Pine, White Spruce or Balsam Fir (three most popular Ontario Christmas tree species) brings back warm and fuzzy memories for some, while also filling the minds of children everywhere with anticipation for Christmas Day. Picking just the right tree is a tradition that many families still look forward to with glee, to say nothing of the fun of decorating that perfect tree once you get it home.

I am getting giddy just thinking about the fun I will have finding my perfect tree this year. If you are debating whether it is worthwhile bothering with all the hyped-up holiday cheer, I came across another good reason to get into the festive season. The Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario are having a contest to find the prettiest Christmas tree around. It is open to Ontario residents aged 5-13 and requires a brief description of why your tree is the “perfect” real Christmas tree, plus a picture of it.

christmas tree (Photo credit: josquin2000)

  Kids,
Santa needs your help!
This year, Santa is showing his
Christmas Spirit, by displaying a
beautiful, fresh Real Christmas Tree.
Santa wants you to show your
Christmas Spirit too, by displaying a
Real Christmas Tree in your home.
Send a picture of your Real
Christmas Tree along with your story
about why the tree is special to you.

1st Prize – $100 to the winning entrant and $100 to the charity or school of their choice
2nd Prize – $75 to the winning entrant and $75 to the charity or school of their choice
3rd Prize – $50 to the winning entrant and $50 to the charity or school of their choice

For more details, check the CTFO website. What I can tell you though is that no artificial trees are allowed in this contest. You can find your tree at a cut-your-own, nursery, tree lot, or grocery store, but it has to be a real tree. For help on finding a place to harvest your own, check here. And don’t worry about hurting the environment when your Christmas tree hits the ground. That tree was most likely grown as a crop and will have many more trees planted to replace it. It grows for 10 years before it is harvested, and during that time absorbs plenty of Carbon Dioxide from the air, leaving us all breathing a little easier. Even after you have taken your tree down following the holidays, it still gives back, as most municipalities recycle used Christmas trees into mulch. You are keeping a farmer in work, plus providing a home for neighbouring animals. You should have NO guilt about making room for a real tree in your home this Christmas. I certainly don’t.

So what are you waiting for? Go find that perfect Christmas Tree and get snapping pictures of it kids!

33 days til Christmas!

1 Lyrics from traditional German song”O Tannenbaum”