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Searching for a 'Choliday' tree
Every December for the last 18 years our friends Amy and Barry have invited us to assist them in cutting down and decorating their "Choliday" tree. This may not sound so unusual a tradition for most families, but our friends and my family are all Jewish!
The first year we were asked to help I felt excited to do this tradition that I never encountered growing up in a traditional Jewish home. It almost felt against my religious beliefs, but let me explain how this day proceeds.
We drive to Acme Tree Farm (that's really its name) in West Newbury. There are hundreds of trees to choose from. Height, fullness, texture, smells, and color of the tree are our mission! We spread out and begin our quest to find the perfect tree, cut it down, schlep it across the field, tie it up, put it on the truck, and return to our friends' home before dark.
The men survey the tree from all angles to decide which way it should fall. Before they start to saw it down, TYT (Take Your Time!) Construction discusses all the options. As you can tell by the name, our men have done other projects together that take forever.
Once we get to the house, TYT Construction surveys the tree again, this time to try to get it in the house without breaking anything. I forgot to mention that every year the tree that we choose gets bigger and bigger. Last year it was up to 15 feet!
There are no Santa Claus, Rudolph, or Christian symbols on the tree. Instead there are beautiful ornaments, many of them made by Amy's mother and other guests who have come to share in the holiday spirit!
As we sit down to our traditional dinner of latkehs [potato pancakes], we reflect on holidays gone by, our long friendship, and our son David's upcoming bar mitzvah. Are we sending him a mixed message? Will he be confused about which tradition he should follow? These thoughts go through my mind only for a brief moment. As I look at my son light the Hanukkah menorah and chant the blessings over the candles, I watch the expressions of my friends' and family's faces warmed by the candle glow. I feel we've done an excellent job of showing our son the true meaning of the holiday season - Choliday Tree and all!
BETH K. HOFFMAN
Swampscott
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