Yesterday I took down my Christmas Tree. Traditionally this happens in my home the first weekend after the Epiphany.It is the same every year; when the Holidays end, it is time to end the short visit of The Tree. As I take down each and every single ornament and place it back into the red Christmas box, I try to remember the joy that the tree spread around my home for the past five weeks. The box is placed on a shelf, where it will stay untouched for another year, until the wonderful time returns in December.
I try to recycle as much of the tree as I can. The branches are cut away and used in my garden to protect the sprouting spring bulbs and for decoration in empty pots. The trunk is cut into smaller pieces and left to dry. Perhaps in twelve months, just when new tree is welcomed into my home, it will spread cosy heat through out my house when burned in the fireplace.
26 comments:
Hi. I think this is a great way. Happy 2010.
I was just thinking how I miss our tree as I wandered down the hall to the bare living room this morning(took it down midweek). It all seemed to last for such a short time..
I am impressed, Ms. Protege, that you cut down the tree yourself for fire wood later! Our's is still on our back porch and then we'll keep it behind a shed until an annual bonfire party our friends have in the early summer(crispy dry little Christmas trees light up almost too well)
I adore Christmas too and can't wait to get my decorations out and the tree up. It's such a wonderful time of year. Well done on your recycling of the tree. We have an artificial one but I do think what you have done is a great idea.
CJ xx
We have an artificial one Zuzana!! Have a great day my dear.
`So you have real tree for Christmas Tree. all I have seen till to date are artificial. I have seen the entire tree getting wrapped and going to the store and come out every year to get decorated again and bringing joy and happiness back to the house.
nice. a lot of ours usually makes it to the burn pile...some are used in aromatics...sad to see the holidays finally end...a little maybe , smiles.
we always burn our tree before it dries out, it makes a lovely sizzling sound as the resin meets the flames.Kath
I love your blog, I just found it from Egmont's, your words and layout are beautiful. We are taking down our tree today, and I am reluctant. It was such a beautiful winter break. roxanne
wish the secure coziness of your home remains forever. your blog gives me such a feel good read. :) i hope people make use of your idea. cheers..ta
Everything done regularly becomes a sort of a ritual. I am glad that recycling the tree has also acquired a ritualistic feel.
The pictures always enable us to imagine things as we read.
Until the next Christmas may the tree find better things.
Joy always,
Susan
Greetings Zuzana,
I am happy to see you are making the best reuse of the tree, especially the branches in the garden to protect the bulbs. Even then you can reuse the branches as kindling now that the needles have fallen off.
Egmont
Wow wow wow! What a woman! This is so very impressive...I just took a walk around my neighborhood where I saw at least a dozen Christmas trees out on the sidewalk, left for the trash man to pick up. YOU, are an inspiration. And the tree gets to live on!!
I love how you recycle the whole tree!
Brenda
I hated taking the tree down when I was a little kid. I used to think I hated the work that went with it. Now I realize it wasn't the work but that it truly meant the holidays were over which makes me sad.
I like that you recycle every bit of it. We always had a real tree every year when I was growing up and honestly, I have no idea what happened to it once we took it down. Now we have an artificial one which is really much better for the environment.
good uses for your tree. you are so thrifty and wise my friend. have a great week!!
Great picture, Zuzana. It is nice that you put the tree to good use after it has brought joy and smiles : )
Why am I not surprised that you'd do exactly what's best with your trees? Good for you. :)
It warms my heart that you recycle as much of your tree as possible. I already miss my tree. It brings so much warmpth and magic to my home with its sparkling lights. sigh......until next year.
I read all about your deep freeze and I am sending desert sunshine your way!!
A fine post, Zuzana. I have friends who will keep their tree up and re-decorate it for Valentines Day! xoxo!
Michael
It's been a long time since we had a real tree and a fireplace. Brings me back to when I was a boy, sitting on the carpet in front of the fire with the family playing board games. Funny the snippets of memories that flash in one's mind.
-TimK
I took my Christmas tree down at the beginning of this week. My house at first looked really empty without the tree and all the colorful ornaments. =( Until next year!
What a great way to recycle your tree. =)
xoxo, Shelly
Christmas left home this weekend as well! What a coincidence, as we too take every ornament down, and put the tree away, the weekend after Kings' Day. I cannot recycle mine, though, as it is an artificial tree, but I found your idea very clever and environment friendly! Good for you my friend.
Ocen Girl (welcome!), Tina, CJ, Phillip, Sumandebray, Brian, Kath, roxanne (welcome!), Tongue Trip, Susan, Egmont, Julie, Brenda, sprinkles, Doreen, LadyCat, Hilary, Holly, Michael, Tim, Shelly and Claudia - thank you all for your kind comments and for sharing with me your own feelings about a tree and the traditions that surrounds it in your own home; whether you have a real tree or an artificial one.
I agree with all of you who state that the house feels so empty when the tree is gone and that you miss it, I do too. But a year goes by so very fast.
As always, I appreciate all your visits at all times.
xoxo
Zuzana
The house does indeed feel empty when all the tree comes down. I guess that's why mine is still up! LOL!! I will take it down this week but always dread that so much...
Ours is artificial, much to my dismay, as I lost that battle for real vs artificial..I digress;)I wanted a real one so badly, too.
What a handy and capable woman! (I love that you recycle your tree that way. Here in TO the trees are picked up and woodchipped somewhere, but I hate disposing of it in its officialy big plastic tree bag. I feel like I'm betraying it each year.... another reason I want to move to the country. :) )
Rebecca and BPG; thank you Ladies for your comments, I agree with you both - Rebecca, hope you can get a real tree from now on;) and PBG, I am honestly not so handy; if the trunk was a bit thicker, I would have been in big trouble.;)
xo
Zuzana
Post a Comment