Timber! A New Way To Say Merry Christmas?

Here's a question for you. Do you like 'em real or fake? Oh. and I should add that we are talking about Christmas trees!  There are pros and cons to both.  Real trees are pricey at the lot, can be messy at home but they smell so good.  Fake trees are easy, reusable & convenient. Going to the woods to get a real can generate the fun, laughter, memories, and photos that can last a lifetime while going to the mall for a fake tree-not so much.

Here's another question for you.  Do YOU have the perfect tree growing on your land? And Why do we use trees to celebrate Christmas in the first place?

WHY A TREE AT CHRISTMAS?

History.com has the answer!

"The history of Christmas trees goes back to the symbolic use of evergreens in ancient Egypt and Rome and continues with the German tradition of candlelit Christmas trees first brought to America in the 1800s.... It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree. Walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. To recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles....  today, Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states." 

THE SEARCH FOR YAKIMA'S TREE

So here we are, in Washinton, otherwise known as the "EVERGREEN STATE" and the search is now on to find "Yakima’s Community Christmas Tree."  Chances are pretty good, like about 100% it will be a LIVE one!   The City of Yakima and the Downtown Association of Yakima (DAY) are asking area residents to check out the big trees on their properties and consider donating a tree for the annual holiday festivities in Downtown Yakima.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

If you think you have the right tree, call Cally Price, the Assistant to the City Manager, at 509-575-6040.

So how will the process work?

First, the Criteria: It needs to be an evergreen, 15 to 25 feet tall, in a location that  can be accessed with a crane and get a truck to it

Once selected, city crews will arrive to remove the tree during the week of November 15^th–19^th, at no cost, and transport it to Millennium Plaza for installation.  DAY is planning a tree-lighting ceremony for Sunday, December 5.