We put up our tree (real) the 1st weekend of Dec. I use the tree preservative from CDN Tire called StaFresh. Works wonders & take the tree down Jan 7th, Ukrainian Christmas.
We don't open any gifts until Christmas morning. Spend most of the day in our pajamas. Christmas Eve we hang out, invite friends & neighbors over. We used to do a 6+ hour drive to Saskatchewan, but stopped the insane travel when the Santa gift ended up in Calgary instead of where we were at. I make a few special dishes for the Christmas dinner turkey and relax.
Thought I would share a little tradition a friend with small children does. Wish I would have thought of it when the kid was younger.
Kids are often too excited to go to bed Christmas Eve. Each child must get the "Elf check & ok for Santa to make it thru there home" They have to tidy their room & pick up toys and then the entire family goes for a Christmas Eve walk. The Elves come in and leave a note that they have passed. Oh and Dad forgot his gloves & had to go back. So after a nice walk looking at the lights and cold fresh air, they arrive back home all tuckered out. They find a note from the elves that they passed the inspection and a little chocolate treat. Off to bed and a relaxing night for Mom & Dad.
What's your unique tradition for the Holiday Season?
The lights go on the tree......we hang the ornaments ....and when the last ornament is hung, we hang one more ----- the ghost ----- (a tissue paper ghost 'ornament' our 30 plus son made when he was 5 or so.) The ghost claims the spot just under the star each year. We go to mass Chrismas Eve. On the 'eve we always eat a big meal --the foods vary but the one constant food each year is mussels steamed in a garlic and wine sauce over pasta. I make struffoli for dessert (italian honey balls.) We open just one gift at midnight; and we always have hot chocolate while we are opening that gift. Christamas morn - although still in jammies, the women ALWAYS put on lipstick and a christmas 'brooch' of their choice (this goes on in all the houses...we all don't live together!) An old tradition that died with my father: there are 14 of us kids... wide age range.. 25 year span or maybe more -- some of the youngest sisters and brothers were also 'aunts and uncles' to our siblings children who were our age.... Anyway, lots of gifts to buy for dad......so impossible to afford. Each Christmas dad would have as many envelopes as he did kids and grandkids... there might be a dollar in each envelope or $5 (depended on how the finances were)....but one envelope had 20 to 50 bucks in it!!!!!!! (This was back in the fifties and sixties --so not a little bit of money.) He'd hold the envelopes (fan them out) and each of us got to pick one......starting with the oldest on down.... the youngest child picked last.... There was always one envelope that 'stuck' up higher than the rest ..broke the nice even line of that 'fan' of envelopes. All us kids knew not to choose it.. The lucky recipient of that loaded envelope was the last child born.. There was such a broad range of kids ages that nobody stayed the youngest for very long.
This message was edited Dec 19, 2008 12:15 AM
Does that StaFresh have to be used from the very beginning? We just put up our tree yesterday. Bought it a week ago and kept it outside until then. It's a Balsam Fir supposedly cut in Nova Scotia on Dec. 3 and trucked immediately to Ottawa, but judging by the number of needles down yesterday, I dunno.
It came through the support group of the Royal Ottawa Hospital and we've had wonderful trees from them for the last 6 or 7 years. This year we're a bit worried we might have to take it down before our party on Jan. 4. If StaFresh can be used a day or so AFTER the tree's been put up, I'd try it, but I'm betting it's too late.
Ann
Ann,
Your tree probably used up a lot of water the 1st day, so I would put the StaFresh in each watering. I add about a litre every day now. The 1st day it took about 4 litres (intial fill of the reservoir). The next morning, it took about 3 litres and since, it's slowly uses less & less.
Joanne
Ann - if your weather has been anything like ours - it might be drought. Our state has been hard hit (as have many) and our NC mountains where the majority of C. trees are grown is and has been in "extreme drought" conditions. Our tree is still flexible but the needles are dropping terribly and this is new. We get our tree from the same grower each year so I don't think there is an issue with cutting too soon and letting the trees sit etc. etc.