O tannenbaum! O tannenbaum!

Lauren Ekert

A lot of tradition accompanies the Christmas holiday, but one of the most important traditions in my family is picking out the tree. The Christmas tree is the center of the festivities, so it is vital that it looks and smells exceptional. I am proud to say that in my 20 years of life, I have never had an artificial tree.

Every year, the weekend after Thanksgiving, my family and I trek out to the Christmas tree farm to peruse the rows, looking for a tree with a sturdy trunk, no major holes and full, voluminous branches.

We sought a fresh, green evergreen that smelled like pine and stretched to the ceiling. We would then flag down the man with the chain-saw, hack it down and secure it atop our mini-van for the journey home.

Then it was time to shake it out, set it up, and decorate it with lights, bobbles and home-made ornaments that marked the years of our childhood. While this tradition has faded with time, I can’t help but smile and reminisce every time I get a whiff of pine.