For Some, It's All About the Christmas Tree

Some people haven't yet put up their Christmas trees and Howard County is reminding residents they can mulch their pines, firs and spruces when it's time to take them down.

The timing of when to set up and decorate a Christmas tree seems to be a personal one that is often rooted in childhood traditions.

There are those who like to display a tree as early as the weekend after Thanksgiving, and those who do it as late as Christmas eve.

Also left to personal taste are the decorations.

Some prefer a perfectly decorated tree with a theme, while others enjoy an eclectic collection of ornaments that have been collected or made over the years.

Columbia Patch reader Anne Gonnella said her decorations have changed over the years, and each change results in a different but beautiful look.

"For many years, we decorated our tree with just birds and snowflakes and it was gorgeous," she wrote in an email. "Now that I have a little girl, we decorate in the most haphazard and bottom heavy (manner) possible, and it is gorgeous in another way."

After moving to a new house last year, the family planted a blue spruce in the backyard within view of back windows.

The tree was decorated with pine cones smeared in suet, berry garlands and peanut butter dough ornaments. The birds were well-fed and the family was entertained.

"The plan is to make this into a tradition," Gonnella said in the email. "The birds get to eat, and we get to watch them."

Tree decorations have become extensions of decorators' personalities.

Sports fans of all types, travelers, birdwatchers, woodworkers, antique car buffs and Disney fans can all decorate their trees in ornaments representing those interests.

Another big tree debate is real vs. artificial.

While many people enjoy the aroma of a real tree and say having a fake tree just isn't the same, others sing the praises of the plastic variety.

Fake trees can stay up longer without becoming a fire hazard, and cleanup isn't the painful experience that getting rid of a real tree can become.

Plastic trees have also kicked off the fad of leaving the tree up all year and decorating for holiday after holiday, from hearts in February to shamrocks in March to flags and other things red, white and blue for Memorial Day and Independence Day.

Regardless of preference, Christmas trees are big business in the United States, according to theNational Christmas Tree Association.

Between 25 million and 30 million real trees are sold each year, selected from the more than 350 million trees growing on 15,000 farms in the U.S., according to the association.

Those farms employ about 100,000 full- and part-time workers.

While North American real Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states and Canada, 80 percent of artificial trees are made in China, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Real trees are a renewable, recyclable resource, while artificial trees are made of non-biodegradable plastic that is possibly contaminated with heavy metal toxins such as lead, according to the tree association.

Many local jurisdictions, including Howard County, offer to grind up trees and allow the owners to take the resulting mulch home for use in their gardens and flower beds.

Used trees have also been used to create sand and soil erosion barriers and have been dropped into bodies of water to create fish habitats, according to the University of Illinois Extension.

Environmentalists and purists might opt for the real McCoy, but there are many reasons — including allergies — that drive people to buy artificial trees.

No matter the material, no matter when the trees go up or when they come down, no matter how they are decorated, Christmas trees are the focal point of American living rooms, club basements and backyards year after year.

We have our pictures taken in front of them, they create a social gathering place and they harbor the gifts left by Santa.

And the outdoor trees even double as diners for our bird friends.

Santa Claus would be proud.

Editor's Note: Columbia Patch reader Anne Gonnella responded to a request for readers to talk about their Christmas tree traditions for this story.