It’s officially Christmas decorating time at our house. The ceramic tree, always the first of the holiday treasures to emerge from storage, shines brightly in a corner by the fireplace.
The tree is at least 30 years old and has survived multiple moves around the country. I discovered it at a Christmas craft show in the basement of an Omaha church. I loved that its painted evergreen branches are full and dusted in snow.
It’s unique among ceramic trees in that its multicolored lights are fashioned as tiny birds perched on the branches. Standing just 18 inches tall, it’s illuminated by an aquarium light bulb that shines from inside.
The tree once played snippets of several popular holiday tunes thanks to a little music box attached to the base. But that contraption went silent after a few years of little ones loving the goofy muffled tunes and not quite taking turns to make the tree “sing.”
These trees became popular in the 1960s and ’70s, making mine not really vintage. But it’s still as beloved as the holiday it heralds.
More Christmas stories
A Christmas memory, ever so strong
Have yourself a morbid little Christmas
My childhood crush on Scrooge McDuck
My middle-age encounter with Clarence
Yes, I’m listening to Christmas music
