Each July my parents take a trip north to visit Christmas tree farms in northern Maine and Canada. My father meets with growers and is very selective about the shape, color, fragrance and needle quality of each type of tree.

The Christmas trees are trucked down the highway, and arrive in Massachusetts in time for Thanksgiving. When the trees arrive, the Christmas season has begun in the garden center business. As I look out at the landscape, there is a yard full of perfectly plump and nicely shaped trees. And the backyard couldn’t smell better. I love the smell of balsam.

Each year my father begs me to take one home. Somehow it seems so silly to truck a tree from Canada down to Massachusetts, and then plop it on the top of my car, and drive it back up to Maine. I usually decline the offer because I like the natural looking “Charlie Brown” type Christmas trees. And I also enjoy the fun family activity of walking through the fields and cutting my own. When my parents arrive at our house on Christmas day, my father always enjoys a good laugh looking at my less-than-perfect tree.

He also expresses concern of a custom I adopted along the way.

Christmas trees bring great joy to the season. Over the years curiosity got the best of me, and I had to question how and why the Christmas tree came to be associated with the birth of Christ. After living in Switzerland, and observing their customs, a new light was shed on the popular custom.

Christmas in Switzerland was quite different when I was there in 1995. The “Charlie Brown” trees prevail and for good reason: You need the long branches with big spaces in between so that there is plenty of room for the candles to burn. The tree doesn’t go up until December 24th. While living there, I became quite fond of the custom and its simplicity, and since then, I’ve added candles to my tree.

The Christmas tree has evolved from a combination of two religious symbols: the paradise tree and the candle (signifying the light of Christ). In the eleventh century religious plays were performed in churches. The most popular was the paradise play which told the story of creation and Adam and Eve’s fall from paradise as a result of their sin. The play always ended with a consoling promise of a coming savior.

There was only one prop on stage: a fir tree hung with apples representing the Garden of Eden. Over time, the plays came to pass, but people had grown attached to the paradise tree, and its rich meaning. Since the Eastern Church celebrates the feast day of Adam and Eve on December 24th, it became a custom for families to put up a tree in their home in honor of the feast day, and what the celebration stood for. The feast spread into Europe.

The tree represented the tree of life and the tree of sin. The apples represented the fruit of sin, and wafers represented the bread of life. Over time, candy and pastries replaced the wafers, but, still, the symbolism spoke of the sweetness of redemption.

The Germans adopted a combination of practices. In the 16th century, they had a Christmas pyramid with candles and decorations of tinsel, glass balls and stars. As the paradise tree made its way into Germany, the decorations from the pyramid were transferred to the tree, and the Christmas tree as we know it today was born. German immigrants brought the Christmas tree to the U.S. in about 1700.

Whether you like the perfect Christmas tree, or the “Charlie Brown” version, the history of the Christmas tree would suggest that either one is perfectly appropriate. The tradition of the tree has covered many miles, and so has my Christmas tree this year. I opted to please my father, and have a well traveled but beautiful, plump tree standing in my living room.

While my dad is happy with me, my fellow Rotarians are not. Please redeem me! If you haven’t bought your Christmas tree already, buy a tree from them! Their nice full trees support efforts close to home and internationally. But don’t wait – they’ll be all gone after this weekend. Enjoy your Christmas tree and thanks for your support!