Yesterday's Christmas tree

When I was a kid during the 1960s, this tree was known as a Christmas tree. It is the native eastern red cedar. Although the eastern red cedar can grow to 50 feet tall, only the young cedars that were about right at 10 feet tall were called Christmas trees.

By mid December when Christmas drew near, it was time for someone in the family to go searching the woods and fence rows for a Christmas tree. It had to be a thick tree with lots of limbs to support the hanging of ornaments, garland and long strings threaded with popcorn.

When cutting down a Christmas tree, it was and is a good practice to cut off the tree about 18 inches from the ground. This allows the remaining stump to continue to live and grow.

Today there are many kinds of artificial Christmas trees and Christmas tree farms that grow and provide other kinds of evergreen trees that are better suited to be a Christmas tree ... or not! Merry Christmas!