Christmas Traditions- decorating the tree

Hi

A few days late with the next installment of christmas traditions but hey! This week I want to focus on our traditions for decorating the tree. Probably the most traditional thing we will look at!

The tree is big in our house. Literal and metaphorical.
It doesn't go up until all of us are home for holidays. We all broke up on Friday so the excitment of going home was added to by the excitment that soon the tree would go up.

We always get a real tree. Nothing beats the smell of pine when you come into the lounge or the ecclectic mix of short and long branches! It is our little tradition that my dad and I go together to choose the tree. Just the two of us. I am normally very fussy about what one we get but this year there was only one left in the right size! Shock horror!

So, the tree is pushed into the back of the car with much umming and aahhing. At its destination it is hauled out and the umming and aahhing starts again as it is balanced in the holder and screwed in...only to find that it is on a tilt.

Once it is inside the house we have the time honoured task of seeing which set of fairy lights work. There is always one set yes? The one set that are put away fine but come out not working. Typical. At this stage we all donn the christmas hats and antlers and I make myself busy with the christmas music.

Then, as it has always been. Mum sorts through the decorations and passes them to the rest of us. We choose where they go and there is much critical comment along these lines...

" The left side of the tree looks bear."

"well put the next decoration there."

"T, stop putting them so low."

" A, no one will see that decoration at the back!" etc etc.

But the job gets done with much laughter. The last thing to go on are the chocolates and the littlest always insists on putting his in its "secret place" which he promptly forgets five days later. ( In our house, christmas tree chocolates aren't allowed to be eaten until christmas eve!)

So, the fire crackles, the camera pans around and laughters falls through the air.

Yep, christmas at it's best.

Do you have traditions for decorating the tree?

Thanks for stopping by

xxxx