Tree tips keep Christmas merry and safe

Most of us don’t realize that our Christmas customs, songs, images of Santa, pine trees and glass ornaments migrated to us from Germany. It’s interesting how these traditions really got started.

In Great Britain, Druid priests used evergreens during the winter solstice. They used holly and mistletoe as symbols of eternal life. They would place evergreen branches over their doorways to keep away evil.

Queen Victoria often visited relatives in a small town in Germany. While in Coburg she met and fell in love with a young Prince by the name of Albert. During the Christmas holiday, Albert would bring into the castle a large pine tree and the local glass blowers would blow glass ornaments and place them on the tree. When the Queen returned back to England, she brought with her Albert and the German custom. It immediately became a hit in England because of the existing Druid traditions.

The Christmas tree tradition came to the United States with Hessian troops during the American Revolution and the migration of German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio  In 1851 Mark Carr (Catskill Farmer) hauled two sleds of evergreens into New York City, he immediately sold them all. By 1900, one in five American families had a Christmas tree, within 20 years, the custom was nearly universal.

I think through the years, we as Americans have added and adjusted this tradition to fit our own traditions because we were all immigrants at one time.

In my view there is nothing more beautiful than a fully decorated Christmas tree. As a small boy, waking up Christmas morning and running down stairs, the sheer splash of color from flashing lights and sparkling ornaments would stop me in my tracks. I think it’s that way for most children.

As an adult I know in order for my children and grandchildren to fully enjoy the tree I must use caution when picking the tree and installing it.

When a Christmas tree is cut, over half of its weight is water. With proper care, you can maintain the quality of the tree. Here are a few tips which will assist you in maintaining your tree:

1. When you get your tree, cut off about _ inch from the bottom of the tree before placing it in the stand. Don’t cut the bottom at an angle or V-shape. Doing this will make it difficult to place into the stand and will not assist it in moisture retrieval from the stand.

2. As a general rule the stand should provide 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter.

3. Don’t whittle down the side of the tree to fit into the stand. It’s the outer layer of the wood that sucks up the moisture giving the tree a drink when it needs it.

4. Always keep the tree away from heated sources; e.g., fire places, stoves, heat vents, etc.

5. When you leave your home or go to bed, turn off the light on your tree. Every year homes catch on fire because the lights were left on when they left the home or went to bed. Remember - Safety First.

6. Do not over load electrical circuits, use a surge protector.

I and my staff would like to wish you and yours a very happy holiday season. In my family we say Merry Christmas, so I will share that with you - Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and may God bless you and yours during this holiday season.

Note: In my last article I briefly discussed Wood Gasifiers. Some folks had trouble finding the FEMA site. Go into Google and type in “fema wood gasifier plans”. Of the topics listed pick the 2nd one titled “FEMA Woodgas Generator”. That will take you to a PDF/Adobe Acrobat file which you can print. It’s about 66 pages of plans and discussion.

If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES (255-2266), e-mail them to nwees@hughes.net or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed do?  For more information about Ed, go online to www.nwees.com.

Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified indoor environmental professional, forensic, fire, flood, mold Inspection and remediation/restoration contractor. Ed is the president of Northwest Environmental Services, Inc.