The first Christmas tree that I remember was maybe two feet tall and it was placed on top of our

[Atticus]

small International Harvester refrigerator. I was with Mom when she bought it.

Just off the square in our small town there was a narrow vacant lot between the Piggly Wiggly and a furniture store and that was where balsams of all sizes were sold. We had walked from our tiny apartment over a mile away "across the tracks" with Mom pushing a "baby buggy" in which my two younger sisters rode. I was not quite four. To say Mom "had her hands full" would be quite an understatement.

Mom picked out the small tree which was already mounted on an "X" of two short 1 x 2s. I don't recall what the tree cost, but I vividly remember that having it "frosted" with artificial snow cost a dime. I can still see Mom's face as she pondered whether the "new-fangled" process would be worth it. After all, dimes did not "grow on trees"!

She finally okayed the "extra" and the evergreen was put into a plywood enclosure, a switch was flipped and I know my eyes must have opened awfully wide as a sudden loud hissing "Whoosh" sounded inside the box. After a few seconds, the tree was removed---now miraculously white with "snow"! Mom and I grinned ear to ear as she somehow strapped the tree on top of my sisters' ride and we walked home with our treasure.

A few of the glass and celluloid ornaments from that Christmas tree are hung in the honored top location on the tree across the room from me as I type this.

Thanks, Mom. You are still missed and loved.

[MLAA]

1. What a glorious memory!

When I was first married about 35 years ago we bought real trees and had them flocked, though I always preferred to call them frocked as if they were wearing a beautiful white lace dress. Quite a few years later we celebrated our first Christmas in Shanghai. I came home from work to find husband had spent the day looking for a Christmas tree. He found one for $2 at a grocery story. It was packed in a box about 1.5 feet long, 3 inches wide and 3 inches deep. He had it put together and it looked very much like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. It was the best surprise I could imagine. That was 13 or so years ago and we’ve used it ever since in several more cities prior to returning to our permanent home after I retired. Ahh, the memories.

[Scrivener7]

2. Lovely.

[Nanuke]

3. My dad was in the Army in Korea...

So my mother’s younger brother Dan and his wife and kids lived with for 6 months while he attended National Cash Register’s training program for field engineers. It was 1961 or 1962. My Uncle Dan bought two “bad” looking Christmas trees at a big discount on the lot. He drilled holes in one of the tree’s trunk and inserted the other tree’s branches to make a beautiful full tree. We sent photos of all of us around the tree to my dad stationed in Korea. I was 5.

When Uncle Dan was away at NCR school in Ohio, we got two feet of snow. The neighbor man came over with a new-fangled device called a snow blower and blew out the driveway. We took photos of this incredible machine at work.

Dad came home eventually from Korea. Uncle Dan worked for 35 years repairing cash registers for NCR.

We love our Toro snow blower.

[BigmanPigman]

4. I still have the tiny glass

ornaments from my grandparents mini-tree which my sister and I decorated for years throughout the 1960s and '70s. The color has fallen off most of them but they are full of love and memories so of course they get the best spots on my current mini-tree. I also have glass ornaments from our family's big, fresh tree from the '60s. They are beautiful and are still in their original boxes. I am very, VERY sentimental. My sister didn't want any of them (old fashioned)...good!

[Hamlette]

5. what a great tale

I remember going to get our Christmas trees with my Dad and sister. Great memories.

[colorado_ufo]

6. Your beautiful story really touched my heart!

What a tremendous person your mother was! I wish I could have known her.

[Evolve Dammit]

7. What a great Mom and memory.

[Mr.Bill]

8. I have a memory from early childhood

that we didn't have a Christmas tree until Christmas morning. I was told that Santa Claus picked out special houses where he brought the tree and set it up.

When I got older, I figured the truth was that my dad, not having much money waited until Christmas eve when trees could be bought at a steep discount, especially in the late evening. That actully made me feel even better. I never asked him about it. The important thing was we had a tree, and I thought it was a very special one.

[Karadeniz]

9. Beautiful memory... thanks for sharing!!!

[iluvtennis]

10. Aww - what a wonderful story - thanks for sharing.

[3Hotdogs]

11. --- the glass ornaments and large light bulbs. My grandmother's were from the '30's. Ours were from

the 40's until they were replaced with smaller ones.

Grandma's and ours had the requisite train set running around the tree.

Maybe 1955....Our neighborhood was working class. Our house had a 20ft porch and its roof was accessible from the second floor window. Dad comes home with a second tree, mounts it on the roof and puts lights on it. Mom was scandalized. It looked "seedy."

I thought it looked great.

The porch tree was not set up the following year.

[Hekate]

12. Lovely. When my son was just a little guy he asked if we could get a big tree."Yes! As tall as you!"

…said I, making that sound impressive as I could. So he stretched up, and we got a wee tree that was as tall as he was to squeeze into our apartment. 💖💖

I bet your mom treasured her memory of the tree she got for you the way I treasure mine.

[Raine]

13. What a beautiful sweet memory to have. ♥️ nt