Tinsel and Figgy Puddings

Wench Pat here:

My contribution to our Christmas-lite blog concerns the Christmas tree.  “Everyone” knows that Christmas trees originated in Germany and became popular in Victorian times, but of course, I couldn’t address the topic without taking a peek at the history.  I won’t tell you all the fun facts I learned, but here’s a great site to get you started:  http://www.christmasarchives.com/trees.html

I’m fascinated that the original tinsel was actually made of real silver and tin until as late as the middle of the 20th century.  None of that flinging of hands full of flimsy tissue into the tree! So, ha! All you flingers of tinsel, you’re in the wrong!  Tinsel was meant to be delicately hung one strand at a time.

Obviously, I have at least one hang-up about the appropriate decoration of a Christmas tree.  Most of my family are flingers of tinsel (and wrapping paper and occasionally of ornaments).  But my husband and I prefer the meticulous placement of tree and ornaments and other decoration, one piece at a time, moving them about until perfection is attained. Or we did, anyway.

This year, we don’t even have a tree.  It took decades to degenerate to this state, but the dissolution was evident from the start.  First, our aesthetic taste insisted that Scotch pines be the only type of tree illuminating our home. Since our first years of marriage were spent in college and army, we barely had the money for a pine branch much less a tree. And if we bought a tree, we had no ornaments except cast offs from our families.  But somehow, we always managed a fat pine, even if it was short.  And the tinsel was meticulously hung on branch ends only.

As we had children and more income and moved around, we discovered the benefits of Frasier firs over Scotch pine.  But little hands couldn’t manage meticulous tinsel placement, nor were expensive ornaments practical around toddlers and pets.  So we began a tradition of making our own ornaments, painting cut-out wood elves and Santas, molding plaster into reindeers and candy canes, and decorating it all with glue and glitter. (too bad glitter glue sticks weren’t available then!)  This was so much fun that everyone had their own tiny tree to decorate for their bedrooms, as well as the main tree.

And of course, the trees grew taller along with the taller ceilings of our new homes.  By the time the kids were teenagers, we were in a house that begged for 12-foot trees that had to be special ordered from Canada.  Numerous strings of lights were required, and it could take days to hang all the ornaments. Have you ever tried dragging a dead 12-foot fir from the house on New Years’ Day?  We would still be vacuuming needles and tinsel a year later.  That’s when tinsel first lost its glitter.  We bought tinsel garlands and called it done.

Then came the year when the kids had flown the coop.  By then, we’d moved to another state and had downsized the house, although we still had tall ceilings.  Since we were traveling to family instead of having family at home, we downsized the tree as well.  And with no toddlers any longer, the tree became a decoration for our parties, and I indulged my penchant for pretty glass by buying matching ornaments.

Then came the year when we had no parties scheduled because we were traveling so much.  That was the year we didn’t have the energy to put up lights much less tinsel. And—horror of horrors—we indulged in our first artificial tree with lights already attached.  I’d been saying for years decorating would be far easier if trees could come with lights, and someone heard my plea.

We’ve moved again. We’re still traveling at Christmas. And these days, our only greenery is on the outside of the house.  But it’s a lovely blue spruce, probably 25 feet high.  Maybe I’ll hang some bird seed balls on it.  Cardinals make great ornaments, don’t they?

And because I’m a cooperative, obedient sort, and the wenches thought Christmas recipes would be nice, I’ll add my flambe recipe:  Find a figgy pudding, or a fruity cake, or a decadent relative or whatever shows up in your kitchen.  Apply good dollop of 80 proof liquor, preferably brandy, cognac, or for the cheap among you, rum.  Set fire to above.
If a figgy pudding isn’t readily available, sip 80 proof until something flamable appears.  As last resort, set fire to breath. Just don’t melt the chocolate.

Comments

[Maggie Robinson]

I'll have the fire extinguisher handy.

Like you, we don't have a tree this year. My ornaments are out on loan and we'll be spending the holidays with them at my daughter's. It's kind of liberating not to fuss over a tree; it's always so depressing to take it down and try to unravel the lights. But my snowmen are all through the house---and darn it, there's plenty of snow outside, too.

[piper]

I have to ask, what is figgy pudding?

[NinaP]

Merry Christmas, Wench Pat!

I remember tinsel. My mom and dad would hang the silvery strands one by one while we kids watched. One year, mom let me be her "holder." I can still remember her picking the neatly layered strands from my fingers. A few years later, she let me hang a bit of the stuff on the lower branches. Oh how jealous were my siblings.

[Susan/DC]

Your comment about the special-ordered 12-foot tree reminded me of a project an architect friend of ours once had: to build a small but high-ceilinged addition to a house for the couple's Christmas tree. The room evidently had no other purpose, but they were quite specific in their specifications about how big the room had to be. I'd heard of people adding rooms to hold art, home offices, and children, but that was the first (and so far only) time I'd heard of one for a tree.

[Patricia Rice]

Piper, see if this url comes through: http://tinyurl.com/yw6bfc

And yes, considering my lack of coordination, a fire extinguisher when I'm holding anything flammable is always a good idea!

A room just for a Christmas tree! High ceilinged rooms have lots of uses, but for a tree? They LIKED spending a week decorating? That must be one heck of a party!

Does anyone use tinsel any more? I haven't looked for it in ages.

[Ingrid]

Do you really advocate setting fire to members of your family who show up in the kitchen?

[Patricia Rice]

Ingrid, I don't advocate it. It just tends to happen. See above post about lack of coordination. "G" And since I have no head for alcohol at all--you really don't want to imagine it.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Pat, thanks to you, I am going to try making figgy pudding for the first time this Christmas. Our Christmas dinners are always so eclectic anyway--French onion soup, followed by fresh crab Louis, so a flaming figgy pudding seems somehow appropriate.

Besides, I've never had figgy pudding, and this is a perfect opportunity to spring it on my unsuspecting sister and brother-in-law, and sis's son. *evil laugh*

[jrox]

ROFLOL. Okay, this post was nice; I found myself nodding my head since my folks an in-laws have experienced the same thing. But--you really had me at the decadent relative. I had to repeat it to my husband and we laughed and laughed. Thanks, Pat, for a real pick-me-up on a gloomy Saturday in the Shenandoah Valley, as we wait for the ice. Perhaps we will need your recipe to keep warm.

[Patricia Rice]

Just don't use my flambe recipe! It's a joke, really folks! "G" Setting fire to one's relatives is frowned upon. "G"

Typepad won't let me sign in this morning. Guess they have icicles on their lines.

Glad there's someone else out there up this morning and laughing at my jokes!

[Lori Barnes]

I love the idea of your outdoor tree with the bird seed balls you would definatly have some beautiful ornaments arriving!! I bet you've seen some spectacular places in all your traveling, I think after the kids are grown and moved out that's what we're going to do just travel everywhere because everything we do now is for them, and we just share in the joy of it. Happy Holidays!

[KeiraSoleore]

"Breathing fire and brimstone" at Christmas? Sacrilege! :)

We do a small tree every year, though our tree has been growning every year as our ornaments multiply. We have mismatched, hand-made, store-bought, wood, glass, felt...every kind it seems. We collect ornaments on all our travels, so each ornament has a story to tell, which makes decorating the tree so much fun. Merry Christmas!

[Lori Barnes]

I just saw your trailer for Mystic Guardian WoW! This looks awesome and the guy he's quite a hottie

[Jane George]

Cardinals (outside one's window) do make the best ornaments. Sadly I don't have any in N. CA. But I did have two does sleeping in the back yard today. :-)

Thanks for sharing your family tree evolution. We've always done the Noble fir/Victorian tree thing. My sinuses will be happier when we downsize though, and traveling sounds lovely! Going somewhere warm? Exotic?

[Tumperkin]

Is that why it's called tinsel then? tin-sel? tin-sil(ver)?

[Georgie Lee]

My family never used tinsel but we did use those tinsel garlands that were very popular in the 1980s and 1990s. My mom had a real particular way of wrapping it around the tree and it always had to go on before the ornaments.

[Patricia Rice]

How lovely to check in and read notes from all over while I'm snowed in. Lots of cardinals in the blue spruce this morning!
Tumperkin, I like your derivation but I thought I'd better check because the original tinsel was mostly silver. The word has been around since at least the 1500's, coming from the French for a cloth with metallic threads, and the origin of the cloth name probably came from "sparkle." Makes sense, I guess.
Keira, I love an eclectic tree, especially one with memories. That's what we did with the tall ones. Lots of memories!
We'll be traveling to southern CA to see the granddaughter, and touring the southwest while we're at it. Think warm. Palm trees. Sun. Our winter solstice break before we get back to traffic, slush, and dismal grays.
With luck, I'll "see" you all on New Year's Eve!

[CL]

Yes!!! I am vindicated!!! Tinsel should be hung one strand at a time! My husband tends to fling it on the tree, then I have to take it off and redo it - one strand at a time. He thinks I am crazy, now I can reassure him I'm not crazy. It is the correct way to do it:)

[Kristen]

And to think, I gave up on the idea of tinsel simply because I thought the stuff they put out these days was junk. I remember the tinsel on my grandparents' and great-grandparents' trees. It was always hung so carefully, and taken off just as carefully, to be packed away and used again the following year. If it weren't for the fact that our tree isn't up because of a lack of space this year, I'd say I need to call my grandma and see if she still has hers in storage, and then ask if I could borrow it.

[Cait]

Ditto for us and the tree thing. Esp since we travel to the kids. But I do have 3 decorated small trees that all I do is drag upstairs and plug in.
Cait

[Patricia Rice]

Flung tinsel just isn't right! And yeah, Kristen, start poking around granma's attic and see how much silver she has stashed up there. "G"

We have one of those pre-lighted trees, but it's so big that even it's a nuisance to put up unless we're planning holiday festivities.

Safe traveling to everyone, and have a wonderful happy holiday!