The American Christmas Tree
If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? In America We celebrate the planting Of new trees. To coverup the destruction of our remaining old growth forest. Adolescent In comparison to their ancestors, and what could have been. Has a tree ever died of old age? Has one ever been allowed to try? If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? I guess that depends on whether you consider it alive.
It’s high time we reevaluate our unsustainable holiday practices for more climate conscious ones:
In England you can now rent a Christmas tree in a pot; they are rented until they reach 7ft tall and then they are retired and planted to being to regrown their once magnificent forests.
In the Philippines where most of the trees are of the palm variety, they build their own Christmas trees out of one of their, the worlds most abundant resources – plastic trash. These trees become folk art, beautifully hand crafted and unique, they decorate the roadside with festive cheer and temporary monuments to religious devotion.
Christmas isn’t stored in spruce trees, pretty wrapping paper or nutmeg flavored drinks.To quote one of my favorite Christmas books – How the Grinch stole Christmas by Dr Seuss. –
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”