by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
I will not engage here in the discussion as to real tree vs. fake one. As far as I am concerned it is a no tree event. A fake tree has a very large environmental footprint in production and shipping and killing a real tree just in order to put it on display decked with tinsel, lights and all that jazz is, in my opinion, not a good idea.
But, millions upon millions of little trees – and not so little ones even – are being slaughtered at this time of year for people to do just that and they pay quite a bit of money for this “tradition” as well. Money, that I am sure, could be put to much better uses for more important things.
The tradition of the tree, first of all, has nothing to do with Christ and neither has the date, but that is neither here nor there except for the fact that it is the destruction of a living thing, as far as the real tree is concerned, simply for our dubious pleasure.
If you want to bring Nature indoors for this feast then do so by using branches from evergreen trees, ideally fallen in high winds, and pruning cuttings from the likes of holly (Ilex ilex) but do not sacrifice a living tree for this.
The tree you are killing could, in time to come, become a tree from, at the fullness of its life, your next notebook be made from or book for reading pleasure rather than expiring after a few days in your living room.
The most amazing part of this all is, in my experience, that there are many people who are vehemently opposed to woodland management for instance or to the use of paper for documents and such, who will, without giving it a second thought, it would seem, go out and buy a young spruce or fir that has been sacrificed and put it into their living room.
Unless it is potted a tree has no place in the house and especially not dressed up tradition or no tradition.
© 2013
