Orange County Review inSIDEr, December 18, 2008 Oh Tannenbaum, Oh Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine located on rich Davidson soil, he does not fertilize, Blater and he uses no sprays. Instead, he picks bag worms Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas i n out of the trees by hand. Tree, thy leaves are so unchanging In June, he'll take three long weeks, seven days a week to "shear" the trees into their distinctive conical (twice) shape. And in fact, the trees at Elysium are so per- Du grunst nicht nur zur fectly shaped, one is tempted to squeeze them to see Sommerzeit S if they're real. "Most people who have gone to a lot of Not only green when summer's different places say nice things about our trees," says Steve smiling like a Cheshire cat. here Regrettably, some people think they are so nice, Nein auch im Winter wenn es they forget to pay for them on purpose. Poachers have schneit I hit both Bramblewood and Elysium, sometimes steal- But also when it's cold and drear D ing several trees at a time. "I've got one guy; I'm pret- Oh Tannenbaum, Oh ty sure I know who he is, and I'm pretty sure he's stolen two trees," says Steve. He usually comes Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine around dark on Sunday, just before they close. "We Blater run a totally trusting business here, and we don't want Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas E to be in an untrusting mode with anything to do with Tree, thy leaves are so unchanging Christmas," says this affable Midwesterner. "We've never had a bad check. We've had two that were bad, t is only too appropriate that we begin a story but they were both made good, and that's over 20 about Christmas trees with a German folk years selling trees." IIsong, because the tradition of cutting a live r Mike and Lisa Klaniecki of Fredericksburg came evergreen and setting it up inside the home at back to Elysium for their third year in a row, recently. Christmastime comes from Germany. Mike says Elysium trees "last so long after, you know, "In a land of forests the tree seems more in like last year we had it until like February." Lisa quick- Photo by Phil Audibert place; it is a kind of sacrament linking mankind OhOh TTannenbaumannenbaum ly adds, "We did take the ornaments down, though." Mark Decot of Bramblewood Tree Farm grows four varieties of Christmas trees on a 60-acre tract along the Transcontinental to the mysteries of the woodland," reads a book Steve Satterfield has heard this before. As he helps Pipeline near where it crosses the Monrovia Road. The Department of Energy bio fuels researcher drives down to Orange entitled, Christmas Customs and Traditions; the Klanieckis put their tree in a protective net for the County on weekends and camps in a travel trailer. Their History and Significance by Clement A. drive home, he says, "If Miles. Published in 1976 this Dover edition is “Christmas you keep it in water so unlike Elysium and on Madison Road. "It's a helluva lot of work," he says based on Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, that it never runs out, it'll Bramblewood, who open wearily, but not as much as when they used to cut the Christian and Pagan, by T. Fisher Unwin, origi- is all about life” last a long time." Once their gates only on week- trees themselves in West Virginia! nally published in 1912. you get it home, "our rec- ends, the Kiwanis sale All told, once expenses are paid, the Kiwanis will This book tells us that the first mention of a hen you think about it, it is a ommendation would be happens every day from raise $24,000. "Most of it goes out to the community," Christmas tree appears in 1605. The unknown rather odd tradition, this cut- author writes, "At Christmas they set up fir-trees to make a fresh cut, put it 10 a.m. till 8 p.m. from the says Tucker as he ticks off the various charitable ting down of a living tree, drag- in the parlours at Strasburg and hang thereon W Saturday after organizations that are benefited: among others, Camp gingW it out of its natural environment, set- in water and don't let it roses cut out of many coloured paper, apples, run out…If it ever runs Thanksgiving to a few Holiday Trails, Toys for Tots, and the Christmas ting it up in an overheated house, and fes- wafer, gold foil, sweets, etc." The Christmas tree, days after Christmas. Yes Shopping Tour where 75 kids receive $75 apiece to tooning it with all manner of lights, out, it rosins over right or Weinachtsbaum, is mentioned again in a mid away and seals it right off after Christmas; Tucker buy Christmas presents for their friends and family. baubles and gee-gaws. There it stands has sold Christmas trees And that money stays here. "We try to keep it local," 17th century catechism, and again in 1737, and and it's done for, unless it is generally believed the tradition started in the like some pagan sacrifice, with riches laid on December 27, mostly says Tucker. "This money is all going back into the you take it down and Protestant north of Germany and was passed at its feet, until after the holidays when it to folks who went out of community." start over and cut it on to the Catholics. loses its magic and is coldly tossed out again. But most people town for the holiday and Tucker Altman has been doing this so long that And, it did not originate in the homes of the back door into the trash. don't want to un-decorate now want to celebrate a buying a Christmas tree from him has become some- peasants whom one might assume would be Few days of the year are more uplifting it." second Christmas at thing of local holiday tradition passed down from gen- more oriented towards pagan ritual. Instead, it than the day when it comes into the Steve Satterfield has home. eration to generation. Some families even ask him to first appeared in the homes of the well-to-do in house, smelling of fresh evergreen. Few On Saturday, pick out their tree for them. "I'm a permanent fixture," towns and villages. The story that Martin Luther days are more depressing than when it D not heard Tucker P Altman's advice for keep- November 29, 500 he shrugs, "a Christmas tradition." started the tradition when he returned from a comes out three weeks or so later, all e Canaan, Concolor, And so, whether you buy a tree pre-cut from walk outside on a midnight clear and put can- dead, brittle and forlorn. If there ever was h ing trees fresh, which is c Douglas Fir and regular Kiwanis or Miller Farms or from out front of the vari- dles on an evergreen to simulate the stars he a symbol that the holidays are over, of i to pour boiling hot water e fir trees left a farm near ous grocery stores or other retail outlets in the area, had just seen in the heavens, is just that… a l on the base. But he winter's barren hopelessness, it's that m Breezewood, or you cut one yourself on the farm, don't be con- story. dead tree lying on the burn pile or out on admits that might make b Pennsylvania at 4 a.m. on cerned about the fact that a tree had to be sacrificed The Christmas tree first appeared in France the sidewalk. No wonder the suicide A sense because the hot e board a tractor-trailer to properly mark the birth of Christ. Mark Decot says in 1840. During the 1890 holiday season, B Photos by Susie Audibert rate increases in mid-winter. If we can just u water would dissolve the r truck driven by Mike "a lot of people are concerned that you're cutting 30,000 cut trees were sold on the streets of Above, Tucker Altman has volunteered at the make it to Valentines Day, we'll be okay. y hardened rosin that is Paris. It is also mentioned in 18th century d clogging the tree's pores. Willis. They arrived in down a perfectly good tree. I say 'don't worry about it. Kiwanis Christmas tree lot next to the Orange It's a good thing that when they 1 England, but did not come into general use fire department every year since 1975. 8 Tucker Altman has Orange at 1:30 that after- It made space for another one. I'll just plant another changed the calendar in 1752, they i there until the mid-19th century. b Proceeds from the sale of trees go to numerous , sold Christmas trees for noon, and they've been one. That's what life's all about.'" moved Christmas back 12 days from The origins of decking the house with fresh local charities. Top photo, it takes a lot of work e selling ever since. Tucker He zips up his coat against the chill damp air. January 5 to within four days of the short- 2 Kiwanis International at greenery in the middle of winter go back much to make a perfect Christmas tree. This eight- works the stand all week- "Christmas is all about life and getting out and breath- 0 est day of the year.