My First Christmas Tree

I always like Christmas trees. For one thing, they can take up an entire living room, or just a table. They can be decorated an infinite number of ways: they can be fabulous and glitzy, understated or downright tacky. But they are always a lot of fun. Maybe that is because I don’t have to clean up hundreds of pine needles on December 26.

At any rate, I have never had a Christmas tree. Why? Well, being Jewish I don’t celebrate Christmas, so the whole idea of a tree is a little silly to me. Not that I really think a tree covered in glass globes has anything to do with the birth of Jesus in any way, mind you. I always thought that maybe if I owned an inn I would have a tree, under the guise of it being “for the guests”. But last week, our friends bought us one, and after much debate actually gave it to us.

Him: It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. It’s funny.

Her: It is completely inappropriate. They are Jewish.

Him: But it is really funny. It even has a Linus blanket.

Her: We just had a whole conversation with them about how they don’t do Christmas trees. Plus, since we are new neighbors, it would be helpful if they still like us. I hear they have a good wine collection.

Him: But I won’t be giving away ours, see, I bought another one for us. Plus, you don’t even drink wine.

Her: [Completely exasperated. Throws up hands.]

While I was not in their apartment during this debate, I do know that it happened. I may have taken a little creative license with the actual dialogue.

So, before you groan about having to decorate the tree, be glad yours has more pine needles than mine and can support more than one ornament. Now go get yourself some flip flop ornaments and stop complaining.