Before Covid we used to have a tree trimming party every year. It was a highlight of the season. My girls would invite their friends, and we would generally invite the same people every year. People we have loved all our lives and are our dear friends, who, strangely enough, do not celebrate Christmas. But they are the best tree trimmers ever!
We would also invite these friends to our Christmas Eve party, and they always attended, and brought the most delicious dishes, helped to carve the prime rib, made ornaments, and participated in the gift exchange. On years when Hannukah and Christmas Eve intersected, we would light the menorah in our home, and celebrate their holiday as well.
Such fond memories. I hope that one day we will be able to do this again. And now we will all have grandchildren who can participate in our shared traditions.
At the end of the tree trimming when all 1200+ ornaments were on the tree, we would dim the lights, and then light the tree, and everyone would gasp, and say it was the most beautiful tree ever. Which, of course it always was.
And then after the tree lighting, we would all gather around for hot chocolate with whip cream and Gelson's cookies, and chocolates. A perfect ending.
This year, there was no tree lighting. And no festive tree trimming either, except for the gracious help of Julia & Dan and Robert on the ladder for the real tall bits. And when I finished decorating the tree with all 1200 + ornaments, really, no one noticed. Maybe when I take the empty ornament boxes to the garage it will dawn on them!
So, I'm going to share the trimmed tree with you! I'll do a Tree Tour next week of all my favorite and most unusual ornaments, and I'll pretend that we have just decorated together, and that you've asked me about how I collected all those ornaments! There's a story in each one!
Stay tuned!