How to Do Things Right

Diann
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Language Class



Back in the 1800s, homemade and handcrafted ornaments adorned most Christmas trees. For the simplicity and beauty of an old-fashioned celebration, add antique ornaments, reproduction antiques or homemade decorations to your tree. I wasn’t born back in the 1800s but I will give a list of how my family decorated our Christmas tree.

1. My family has a tradition we would wait until Christmas Eve then we would go into a field and find the perfect cedar tree. Then my dad would get the axe and cut down the tree and bring it home.
2. We would get the tree back home and my dad would put it in the stand and trim the branches. While he worked on the tree mom and us kids would get out the lights and ornaments and get ready.
3. Next we would go through boxes of old ornaments that my mom had saved for years. Some of the ornaments mom and dad have collected from their family and some mom would find at yards sales and flea markets.
4. A lot of the decorations my brothers and sisters and I would make. We would get construction paper and make a big chain with green and red paper. One time I remember my sister found a bird nest and she wanted to put that on the tree. We all told her it was ugly and needed to take it off but mom let her leave it there.
5. Sometimes mom would pop popcorn and we would get a string and a big needle and put popcorn on a string and tied it. Then we would put the string of popcorn on the branches. We would eat a lot of the popcorn and mom would have to make more.
6. There were times at school we would make crafts for Christmas and whatever we made, we would bring home and put it on our tree. When Christmas was over mom would put them in the ornament box and save them for next year.
7. My dad would get candy canes and we would hang those on the branches. Of course, before Christmas ended the candy canes would be gone.
8. After my brothers and sisters and I finished. Mom would get a clean sheet out of the closet and put it under the tree.
9. My baby sister would always get to put the angel on top of the tree. My dad would pick her up and she would put the angel on the tree.
10. Next of course, what little presents there were, mom would let us put them under the tree.
11. The last step would be to check the water in the Christmas tree stand every other day.