O Christmas Tree

I walk a narrow path, the soft crunch of snow underfoot. Its edge a border of red rope, I tread the passage with care and intention. Each turn, a sharp angle, I make my way through the tiered branches of a Christmas tree labyrinth. The season’s first snow afforded an opportunity to create this celebrated symbol of the holidays on fleecy white ground. I whistle as I wander, a traditional melody—O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree… Wistfully, the clear resonant sound cuts through the stillness of the chilly, snow-muffled morning. In reverie, I sense the magic of childhood memories and bask in the mystery of this journey.

The evergreen tree, long a symbol of everlasting life, has been recognized for millennia for its beauty and resilience. In the midst of Winter, its vibrant green boughs represent renewal and rebirth, giving hope during the darkest time of year. Though ancient and cross cultural in its origins, the reverential or symbolic use of evergreen trees was eventually integrated in the celebration of Christmas. Fruit, nuts, and sugary treats adorned the branches. Candles were added, bringing light into the darkness.

Now, in our modern world, we decorate trees with strings of many colored lights. It is the experience of these lights at Christmastime that I fondly recall from childhood. During the Winter holiday, I would rise before dawn, plug in the lights, sit or lie before the tree, and marvel at the rainbow of colors dappled across the wall and ceiling. I was enchanted and entranced, filled with the spirit of the season. As commercial as Christmas can be, an evergreen tree decked in lights was for me a portal to otherworldly possibilities.

Walking the Christmas tree labyrinth is also a window into the wonder of Winter holidays. The blanket of snow, as well, adds an element of excitement as I reflect on my first experience of it at age eight. Like lights on an evergreen tree, the frozen, fluffy, white substance brightens an otherwise grey day, reigniting the light in me.

For all that is,