My scandalous Christmas Tree

Recently — November 1^st to be exact — I did something controversial that scandalized several of my family members, friends, and neighbors. While visions of sugar plums danced in my head and Perry Como sang to me about silver bells, I dragged out my Christmas boxes and put up my tree. Each day since, I’ve slowly sprinkled more of my holiday decorations around the house much to the chagrin of everyone around me.

My poor little Christmas tree was scorned. Inevitably, I was met with two reactions, both equally passionate. There were those who insisted that Thanksgiving must be honored first lest I trigger a holiday apocalypse, while the others responded with a chorus of “Bah humbug.” I ignored them all and merrily went about hanging my Christmas wreath and stringing up lights. Christmas is my happy place, and nothing is gonna break my stride.

For the record, I love Thanksgiving too

I do love Thanksgiving and usually host Thanksgiving dinner for my husband’s large family. But it’s a holiday that came to me late in childhood even though I was born in New York. When I was still too little to remember much of anything, my German dad packed up his American wife and two young children and moved us all to Germany to be closer to his family.

My mom decided the best way to learn the language and embrace her new home was to live completely as a German. Not only is Thanksgiving an American holiday, but turkeys weren’t exactly readily available in our little town, so she focused on the German holidays, of which there are several during that time of year.

Tis the season in Germany

Two things you should know about Germany in the winter: it gets very cold and it snows. A lot. But that doesn’t stop anyone from enjoying the great outdoors.

November kicks off with Laternelaufen, a celebration of St. Martin, a soldier who shared his coat with a man in need to keep him from freezing to death. As I said, it gets cold and snowy in the winter months. Later, St. Martin became a bishop and tended to the poor.

On the night of Laternelaufen, neighborhoods go dark as kids (with their parents at their side) line up with their paper lanterns illuminated by a candle inside and parade through the streets singing songs about lanterns, stopping at homes to serenade homeowners in exchange for candy, treats, or money. It was utterly magical.

St. Nik — and his punisher

Germans roll a bit differently than Americans. They love to teach children life lessons through terrifying stories and fables. Many have heard of Krampus, but have you heard of Knecht Ruprecht? Probably not. He’s St. Nikolaus’ punisher, who gives the switch to all the naughty little children who don’t listen to their parents throughout the year.

One year my Opa and Uncle Peter dressed up as St. Nikolaus and Knecht Ruprecht and visited us. I was amazed to see him. My temper-tantrum throwing sister was not. She bolted and hid. She need not have feared because St. Nikolaus was there to give us presents and candy, but with a reminder to be good girls — or Knecht Ruprecht would return.

Advent traditions

In Germany, the holiday season starts four Sundays before Christmas. Germans mark the beginning of Christmas by setting out a wreath with four fresh candles. Each Sunday, a new candle is lit until all four candles are burning. My mother would place a small wreath on the table with the holiday candles. It was always exciting when our parents would light a new candle because it would be followed by cookies and treats.

One of my favorite childhood memories was getting a new advent calendar each year. They were always stunning creations with beautiful wintery scenes and sprinkled with glitter. Behind each door of the calendar was a scrumptious melt-in-your-mouth German chocolate. It was such a special treat in the mornings for kids, and it made waiting for the big day a little easier.

Fröhliche Weihnachten (Merry Christmas)

Growing up, we always had a fresh cut tree. When I was very little, we’d pick it up a week before Christmas. My parents would drag it in, set it up in its stand, and let it settle for a day or two before decorating it. My dad always went a little crazy on trees. He loved filling every branch with ornaments, German chocolates wrapped in festive foil, lights, garland and tinsel. Lots and lots of tinsel. If he got his hands on angel hair, he’d throw that on too. Our Christmas trees were always…a lot.

Traditionally, Germans decorate their trees on December 24, which is when Christmas is celebrated. However, my dad needed at least a couple of days to decorate, so he always got a jump start on it. You can see where I get it.

The Christkind not Santa Claus

I was raised to believe that the giver of gifts on Christmas was the Christkind (Christ child) not Santa Claus. In our home, Christmas focused on Christ. My mom, who is a fabulous cook, would make a fantastic trout dinner with butter potatoes and a salad. After dinner, we’d attend a church service. Once we got home, my parents would tuck us in for a nap with a story.

As soon as we heard the door shut and the key turn in the lock, my sister and I would wait with great anticipation for the Christkind to arrive. Meanwhile, my parents would be in stealth mode carrying parents into the living room, tucking them under the tree, and setting the big gifts up. A bell would ring when everything was done signaling the Christkind had been there.

My parents would unlock the door (part of the tradition) and off we’d go, darting into the living room. The Christkind’s generosity always awed us. After all, it was His birthday not ours.

My father would put on Christmas music, while my mother poured them each a glass of well-deserved wine, as we tore into our presents. It was always a special time because it would just be the four of us, and my parents would let us stay up late into the night playing with our new gifts and eating sweets.

I would always try to peek outside to catch a glimpse of the Christkind as He visited each house. I was always met with the sight of a blanket of snow glistening under the starry night sky and the warm glow of light spilling from neighboring homes as they too celebrated the wonder of Christmas.

Erster Feiertag

In Germany, Christmas Day is known as Erster Feiertag which translates to ‘first day of celebration.’ My mom would get up early to cook goose or duck, red cabbage, knödel (bread dumplings), mashed potatoes, and gravy. Later, my Oma, Opa, and extended family and friends would arrive, often bearing gifts and candy for us littles. The festivities would continue, and dinner would always be followed by coffee and all the delicious cookies and treats my mom had spent all month baking and storing in assorted Christmas tins.

A new way of celebrating the old

Moving back to the United States changed many of those traditions. Halloween replaced Laternelaufen and St. Nikolaus Day gave way to Thanksgiving. However, we continued to observe Christmas on December 24 and celebrate Erster Feiertag with family and friends. My mother also continued to make the same traditional meals and bake all the wonderful goodies that she always did.

When I had my own children, I tried to carry on those traditions, but I had to compromise on Santa Claus because he reigns supreme as the traditional gift-bearer in the USA. However, I did make sure my father remembered to pick up German advent calendars each year for my son and daughter during his business trips to Germany. It was only in recent years that my local Kroger store began to carry them, so now I pick them up for all the littles in the family.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

That brings me to my rather new tradition of putting my Christmas tree up on November 1^st. I was always eager to deck my halls with boughs of holly, but I’d dutifully wait until after Thanksgiving. I’d get up at 4am on Black Friday, go shopping until noon, return home with a carload of presents, and get to work putting up my tree while my husband unloaded presents and carefully hid them from curious eyes.

The night would end with a carpet campout. We’d throw sleeping bags, blankets and pillows on the floor, pop in a family movie (usually one from the Harry Potter series), and enjoy the Thanksgiving leftovers.

Unlike my dad, I always had an artificial tree mainly because I also had dogs, including males who liked to tinkle on things especially fresh cut Christmas trees. Also, artificial trees are less messy, require far less maintenance, and I could keep them up longer. But I did miss the scent of pine filling the house and the fun of going to pick out the perfect tree.

Christmas cheer during troubling times

Three incredibly difficult life events occurred that made me stop following the rules.

On December 22, 2019, my dad suddenly passed away. He’d been living with congestive heart failure for several years, but it still blindsided me. Worse, he was several states away and Covid was just starting to rear its ugly head. I wasn’t able to attend his memorial service, but I was able to say goodbye when we scattered his ashes this past summer.

Christmas 2019 was a blur to me. Everyone around me was in the holiday spirit, while I was grief-stricken and in shock. It was awful, especially since my dad and I had always bonded over our love for Christmas. All I could think about the special gift that my dad gave to me during one of our last holidays together.

It was the day after Thanksgiving 2013, and he’d pulled on a cardigan sweater that he’d worn several times during the visit. When he went to put something in his pocket, he had felt something. To his surprise, there was a tiny ceramic angel ornament in the pocket. My dad was completely mystified because he’d never seen it before. Despite that, he promptly hung it on my Christmas tree.

That ornament is now one of my most treasured gifts.

In early November 2020, my husband fell gravely ill. He nearly died on the operating table, suffered a stroke, and was on life support for several days. He came home three weeks later on Thanksgiving, but it was only the beginning of his medical journey that ultimately led to a life-saving liver transplant in the summer of 2021.

More bad news followed. My beloved dog Hazel was diagnosed with cancer. It crushed me. Christmas 2020 was incredibly difficult because I had lost my dad the year before and I was living with so much uncertainty and heartache.

My sweet Hazel crossed over the rainbow bridge on January 6, 2021. She sent her sister Cleo to us January 30, 2021.

Finding my Christmas joy again

When November 2022 rolled around, I had reached a point in my emotional healing where I no longer worried about what people expected of me. I focused on the things that made me joyful and in doing so I found some peace.

One of those things that gave me joy was embracing my love for Christmas, so I pulled out my Christmas boxes and went to work. It was wonderful. Every morning, I’d wake up turn on the tree lights, the various holiday lamps and decorations, and I’d smile. It took me back to my childhood when I didn’t have a care in the world or bills to pay. When I had two loving parents who protected me from the bad things and made me feel safe and cherished.

Seeing my home transformed for Christmas reminds me of all the years that my daughter and I would bake batches of scrumptious cookies (some family recipes and some new ones) for the holidays, our special family time decorating for Christmas, talking, and being happy together. Just like in days gone by.

Merry Christmas to all

This year, I was especially eager to put up my tree because the election had stressed me out. I hated how ugly things had become. More than ever, I wanted something joyous to focus on, so I have no regrets putting up my tree on November 1^st.

My love for Christmas hasn’t dimmed. Every day I happily unpack a little bit more. A pair of Thomas Kinkade holiday globes that my husband gave me two years ago are adorning the mantle as of yesterday. On Thursday, I put the replica of the leg lamp from A Christmas Story on an antique cigar table that a friend gave me ages ago. I’ve also hung the Christmas wreath on the front door, put down the Merry Christmas doormat and started pulling out family recipes for cookies and other sweet treats that I intend to bake in the coming weeks.

I live in Ohio, so I’m hoping that this year, we have a snowy Christmas.

Here’s hoping all of you have a very happy holiday season.

Liz Masters

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