O Tannebaum!

The Ashe County Garden Cub has provided a beautifully decorated Frazier Fir for the library! You can see the tree on the library's upper level, but before you even climb the stairs, a fresh scent of evergreen can be detected. The tree represents the gardening club with its decorations of flowers, ornament replicas of gardening tools, and birdhouses.

I'd have to say that Christmas trees are probably my favorite holiday tradition. I love to see them lit up in the windows of houses at night. Decorating the family Christmas tree is always the most fun. Over the years, we have accumulated many unique, mostly handmade ornaments. My mom still has some of my childhood decorations, made from pipe-cleaners, play dough, beads, and glitter. I'm surprised they have lasted so long!

This year library staff and patrons decorated a Christmas tree with poetry as part of the Art Council's Tree Fest. The children's department hosted an ornamentality program, where patrons could stop in and make ornaments that incorporated poems. The poetry was a mixture of originals and old favorites ... all centering around the winter holiday season. This slide-show includes pictures of the library's ornament-making workshop and the beautiful trees that are on display. You will want to stop in the Art Council and read the poetry tree, as well as see other decorated trees in the Tree Fest. The sights and smell of Christmas fill the gallery and leave you with a sense of heavenly peace.

O Tannebaum, a set on Flickr.

During the Revolutionary War years Americans adopted Germany's custom of decorating Christmas trees.  Hessian soldier, Henrick Roddemore, is credited with bringing the first Christmas tree to Connecticut  in 1777.  Here is a video of Charlie Brown and the Peanuts, accompanied by the Vince Guaraldi's Trio with the jazzy version of  "O Tannenbaum," a Christmas carol of German origin  The lyrics, though not sung in this rendition, refer to the fir's evergreen qualities as a symbol of constancy and faithfulness.