Oh Tannenbaum
One of the stupidest things I think I ever said was in late 1985. We were living in Rittersdorf, Germany. We had recently moved into our attic apartment above the Hauffmann family home in a little village a few miles from the base in Bitburg. The weather was getting very nippy. I was so excited to be able to go to the Air Force Base where Scott was stationed and buy a few Christmas things.
In the move from the U.S. to Europe, we had only been able to ship 1,400 pounds of household goods with us as a young airman and family. That was enough weight to cover some of our basic necessities, clothing, and baby crib and stroller for Amy. No other furniture came with us. Of course, we hadn’t been able to bring much in the way of Christmas decorations either.
Since we were very young, we didn’t have too many anyway. It was sad to leave them and all our other things behind. We had left everything boxed in Scott’s parents’ barn. During our tour of duty in Germany, they moved from Washington to Oregon. In the process, all of our stuff was thrown out. Basically, everything we had before the move, but could not take, was gone forever. Fortunately, I was not aware of this fact during our time in Germany.
My landlady saw me lugging in the holiday items I had purchased, including a very small box with an artificial Christmas tree. She asked me, in German, if I was getting ready for Wienachten (Christmas). I said that I was and added, in my simple German, that I had purchased a tree. I asked her if Christmas trees were common in Germany. In response, she began to sing, “Oh, Tannenbaum.” As the lyrics hung in the air and I looked at her face, I felt the stupidest I have ever felt as an expat. Have you ever wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out? That was me.
Christmas trees were invented in or around the area that is now Germany. Germanic peoples have been the kings of winter festival trees since ancient times, long before Christianity. A thousand years ago, the ancestors of the Germanic peoples were cutting down firs in the winter and bringing the light and scents inside. The trees are traditionally laden with hand carved wooden treasures. Real candles twinkle in little holders, keeping away the long, dark, cold winter nights.
I bought some of those candles and holders and used them a few times. Every time I lit the candles, Scott was at the ready with a pitcher of water. The whole emergency readiness thing reduced the festivity of the occasion. After that, for decades, our tree was laden with unlit candles. I still own a few of the original straw and wooden ornaments from our first trip to Germany, though most are too fragile to hang on a tree anymore.
German Weihnachtsbäume have traditionally been real pine and firs. Everywhere you go is rich with the smell of cut wood and greenery. What a difference it was to move to Latin America about 25 years later. When you could find a cut fresh tree available for purchase to add to your festive decorations, it would be imported from Canada or the United States and extremely expensive. Most trees we have seen in Central America and Mexico were and artificial.
The huge trees you see in city parks and malls are always pretty, but very artificial. Sometimes crazily so. One town we drove through had a huge metal structure, covered in green plastic and red ornaments that had the white logos for the “claro” telecommunication system. That was unusual, but I didn’t take a photo of it. Some of the trees in neighborhoods are clearly homemade and not much like the tannenbaum of Germany.
We have seen a huge variety of trees. Many of those I have photographed. Some of the photos are posted below, so you can see a variety of the ways Christmas is celebrated in the tropics when a big fir tree is not handy.
And my personal favorite is the Alebrije design in our hometown. Alebrije animals are fantastical, colorful folk art, originally from the artist Pedro Linares. They blend images of indigenous stories with a more modern look. This tree is festive with a strong local feel.
The “snow” lining the ground all over the downtown central park is cotton batting. A winter wonderland filled with snowmen on the Mexican beach! Who could ask for more?
I didn’t know what a “tannenbaum” was either despite hearing the song “O Tannenbaum” umpteen times also so you have company!