It’s that time of the year and I put up my Christmas tree tonight. It’s not a ‘real’ one… rather, it’s made of plastic and optical glass fibres.
The way these work is really cool. All the optical fibres terminate in the base, where a lamp shines down their length. A semi-transparent disk, tinted various colours, rotates in front of the fibre-ends and thus colours the light that appears at the other end of the fibres. This gives a shimmery sparkling Christmas lights effect all over the tree. Looks stunning.
Although I do like a real tree (as in one that has been cut out of a plantation), for me it’s all a bit too much fuss and bother. My fake tree is half-size (good for my little unit), doesn’t drop pine needles, doesn’t need watering, and I can decide at the last minute whether or not I’m going to put it up. (Some years I don’t bother if I’m stupidly busy.)
My favourite decorations are the angels and stars. I have these in all shapes and sizes. Here are some pictures…
If you have a Christmas tree, what are your favourite decorations? Do you prefer the sensory experience of a real tree, or the no-fuss option of a fake one?
E V Gregory 
As I’m sitting here, the smell of pine is pretty dominant. We got a real tree again, and while watering and sweeping up the needles can be a hassle, I do love the smell. Every year I buy at least a few new ornaments. This year it’s peacocks. The husband looked at them and said, “I’m afraid those won’t last.”
“Why dear?”
“Because they’re glass, and the cats will break them.”
“Dear, 3/4 of the ornaments on the tree are glass. Did you not notice?”
“Um…”
Merry Christmas!
LikeLike
Yeah you can’t beat the smell of a real pine tree. I have heaps of glass ornaments too, but my cat seems not too interested. I’m more worried about when/if my nephews (2&4) come to visit!
LikeLike
Your tree sounds way cool and looks so pretty. I have a fake one, too, though I wish I could have a real one. If I didn’t have cats that liked to climb up the trunk and knock it over, that is. They also enjoy swiping the ornaments off so the bottom 1/4 of the tree is usually bare.
LikeLike
Sounds like I’m lucky my cat doesn’t climb the tree! Maybe she’s just too fat and lazy…
LikeLike
When I was growing up I used to spend all the Christmas School hols up at Port Stephens on the beach – my grandparents would go out in the bush and cut a casurina and I have wonderful memories of decorating those trees. When my grandmother was finally living in a little unit towards the end of her life she bought a cheap tiny plastic one from Coles. I still have and use that tree along with the decorations she put on it (plus some new ones) – some of her decorations are at least 50 years old 🙂 Lovely memories, thank you.
LikeLike
That’s a lovely story – thank you so much for sharing, Margaret. Christmas decorations can certainly have a history and tell a story, can’t they.
LikeLike