Christmas trees are like snowflakes. No two are alike.
Some are made of aluminum and plastic. They might be put up on Black Friday — maybe even earlier in November.
Some are real trees bought from parking lots outside grocery stores or fire stations.
Some were cut fresh from a local farm where a family carefully picked the perfect size and shape.
It doesn’t matter where they come from. It doesn’t matter if they are sticky with sap or were just pulled out of a storage bag. A Christmas tree is a symbol of the season. It speaks of evergreen hope and a renewing grace.
But every tree — whether a 7-foot pine in a family’s living room or the 40-foot blue spruce outside the City-County Building in Downtown Pittsburgh — tells a story of the people it represents.
They may glow with steady white lights or twinkle with clear ones against the night sky. Some are strung with faceted teardrops of joyfully colored light.
One tree might be a crystalline wonderland of meticulously curated perfection. Another could be a scrapbook of family history with ornaments that mark milestones and vacations. Some are DIY masterpieces of paper chains, popcorn strands and construction-paper hand prints.
The National Christmas Tree Association says up to 30 million trees are sold in the United States every year. Another 10 million artificial trees are purchased annually. That’s about $6.1 billion on the trees alone, not counting lights and decorations and tree skirts and the star or angel or whatever graces the top.
All of those ingredients come together to create the distinctive DNA of a family or an office or a community Christmas tree. They offer cheer. They provide comfort. They revel in nostalgia.
Whether your tree is simple or cluttered, trendy or traditional, it is a one-of-a-kind snowflake that sums up this year in distinctive sparkle. It can be the glow that lights the holiday. Enjoy it — and share that light with everyone you meet this Christmas.
