Traditions are just a small part of Folklore, but everyone one has their own traditions in their own life or families. In my family the only tradition out of many would have to be decorating the Christmas tree. In my family we have a certain time that we put up/ decorate the tree, a certain way, and special ornament. But like any holiday or tradition it needs a beginning. The decorating of the Christmas tree had originated from our dear friends the Germans “and soon became a worldwide tradition. Pennsylvania Germans, who immigrated to Lancaster, Pa. in the 1800s, introduced the custom to Americans. (http://search.proquest.com.proxy.yc.edu/pqrl/docview/197162352/13377113FE832532978/3?accountid=31701). From this point on many families started their own ways to decorate the Christmas tree, just like how my family has their own.
In my family we have a certain time of the year that we put up the Christmas tree, this time would be the weekend after thanksgiving. This is essentials when it comes to my family, why? Well according to my mom, her side of the family has always been a Christmas family. That since she was a young girl she remembered her grandmother decorating the whole house and the tree, she also said that it was always the weekend after thanksgiving. So after finding this out I went to my Great aunt (my Great grandmas daughter) to see what she had remember as a child, when it came to the Christmas tree, she said that like my mother remembered that everything had to be up and decorated by the weekend after thanksgiving. So as far as I know my family has done this for years. I wish I could go further with this investigation on to see if it was my Great grandmother to start it or if it went beyond her, but sadly everyone has past so couldn’t.
A certain way that we do it, is that we must have Christmas music. When I say Christmas music I mean from the original songs to the silly and fun songs. If there is no music playing everyone must stop putting on the ornaments, until we put the music on. In my family we use a fake tree, and I always wanted to know why we did. So I first went to my mother and she said that Grammy (Great grandma) had always had it just in case of people come in with allergies. But I think it’s because she thought it was easy and pretty. But then I went to my Great aunt and she also said it was because of allergies and because she (Great grandma) just thought it was pretty.
The first ornaments were of course made by the Germans (who first brought Christmas tree decorating), these ornaments are called Dresden’s. “Dresden’s were generally less than six inches long and meticulously designed in painstaking detail. They depicted a wide variety of items, among them giraffes, deer, dogs, cows, bears, fish, fruit, musical instruments, purses, shoes, half-moons, lanterns, tiny people and snowmen. The astounding variety also included ships, boats, trains, railroad cars, zeppelins, bicycles and baby carriages. Many of these forms were highlighted with gold or silver-- colored glazes” (http://search.proquest.com.proxy.yc.edu/pqrl/docview/197162352/13377113FE832532978/3?accountid=31701). My family has many special ornaments that we use. Pretty much every single ornament on our tree minus the fillers has a story behind them. Also every year we have to add at least one new ornament. This being said, we will go to the very first ornament that goes on, which is my stepfathers New York Ranger ornament. Why this one goes on first is just because he just wants to get done, being as that’s really the only one that he has to put on. He said that he doesn’t put on much of the ornaments because he put up the tree and that he is tired. Some other personal ornaments that we put up are the years that my brother and I were born. Then you have our creations (arts and crafts) of when we were growing up. Two of my favorite ornaments that I made were pictures of my Great grandma and my Great grandpa; they have to be together because they are our inspirations of a great long, romantic life. I could go on and on about the different stories behind every ornament, but just know that there probably is.
The most special thing and probably my favorite part of decorating the Christmas tree are putting up the Angel on the top. When putting up the Angel a different person puts her on the top of the tree. Usually we try and have my brother put the angel on, because he is the youngest one. When I was a little girl I was the one to put it on. When putting the Angel up this means that it is the end of the night and all decoration of the tree and the house is completed. My mother has the same Angel that my Great grandmother used on her tree. She is very old, yet kept clean. Sadly after my Great grandmother died we had to change the angel. We had to replace it because my mother didn’t want to ruin it. So we put it in a glass container and it is still part of our decoration just sadly she be in her right full place on top of the Christmas tree.
There are many traditions in the world, but one that stuck out in my family is decorating the Christmas tree. We have a certain time to put it up, and that is the weekend after Thanksgiving. Then certain things that we do during the event, like listen to music. Also how my family has a lot of personal ornaments. Decorating the tree/ original ornaments might have came from Germany but my family and most likely a lot of other families made it their own.
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