Chico, Sustainable

I can tell you from first hand experience that there are no Douglas firs or spruce trees growing wild in the Holy Land. The origins of the indoor Christmas tree date back not to Bethlehem but to Germany in the 1500’s, though the idea didn't catch on in the U.S. until after 1850. By 1900, one in five American families had a Christmas tree. The first Christmas tree farm was established in New Jersey in 1901 and 20 years later nearly every Christian American had a tree. Today 98% of all Christmas trees are grown on tree farms.

Plenty of theories, myths, and stories are out there about how evergreens found there way into the home in the first place. In a nutshell, conifers have been admired for centuries for their ability to retain foliage during the winter months while other trees are dormant (the ancient Egyptians celebrated palms for the same reason). As such, clippings of various evergreens such as holly, mistletoe, laurel, and fir were brought indoors to bring cheer during winter solstice celebrations, as they were seen as symbols of life during the darkest, shortest days of the year. Such traditions were absorbed into Christian culture; for example, the triangular silhouette of the fir tree has been likened to a symbol of the Holy Trinity.

So I ask again, should we really be celebrating these symbols by cutting them down? Is it time for this part of the tradition to change?

Of course, folks could always buy artificial trees to keep year-after-year, but even with after spraying the tree with “evergreen scent” potpourri it would still lack the ambiance. Also, though folks have no problem stored lights and ornaments in a box in the corner of the garage, plastic or aluminum trees aren’t as conveniently shelved.

Purchasing a tree made out of petroleum products is also not something that I would quickly endorse.

I did read that Christmas tree farms are often located where the soils are marginal and wouldn’t do well to support other crops. The same article mentioned that for every tree that is cut, two are planted in its place. Not that I don’t think these facts could be true, but I would want to see it to believe it. On the flip side, I have also read that the average Christmas tree receives roughly half an ounce of pesticide over the course of its life.

There are creative solutions. I have read of live trees available for purchase that can be planted once the holidays are over. (If you know a location in Chico where you can purchase live trees, please share--I have not lived here long enough to know for myself). Or, you can designate an evergreen in your front yard—it doesn’t have to be a conifer—to decorate with waterproof ornaments and lights.

For many this might lead to a dilemma about where to put the presents, but I am sure we can come up with a new tradition that accounts for this conundrum.