Monday 19 December 2011

The magic of lights

When I was a child, I loved the Christmas tree lights. My mother, despite her dislike for Christmas and putting up decorations, would eventually get round to putting up the tree each year (this is why it happened all in one night - I think she wanted it over and done with ;) ). It stood in a corner of the room, brightly decorated, and, every evening, when it got dark, my sister and I were allowed to turn the lights on.

These lights were multi-coloured. Not plain white, or silver, or blue. They were red, and pink, orange and green… (and no, I'm not about to break into that rainbow song ;) ). I loved the way they lit up the tree and glistened off the tinsel.

As our artificial tree had a high base, I would spend a few minutes of most evenings lying on the carpet on my back, head beneath the branches, staring up at the lights through the green. To me, it seemed I'd entered a fairy land, and anything was possible.

Something happened a few years ago that put my love of Christmas on hold, but this year found me struggling to put my own tree together, spreading out branches, creating a bizarre pattern with the tinsel, and hanging up tree ornaments I'd gathered years before.

The best part?

Turning on those lights.

Still multi-coloured, still shades of red and blue and orange lighting up my tiny hall and playing over the plain cream walls. My tree isn't high enough for me to stare up through its branches, but something about those lights is still magical to me.

Do you find anything magical in Christmas decorations? Or do you have any ornaments for your tree that have special meaning to you each time you hang them?

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

9 comments:

Christine Rains said...

I love the lights too. Especially at night when all the other lights are out.

Congratulations! You're a winner of a Christmas video card from David Salnave. :) He'll be in contact with you shortly.

Nicole Zoltack said...

I love Christmas lights! And we use multi-color too. I just love all the different colors.

M Pax said...

I love my spaceship ornaments. & I have several ornaments that remind me of specific people. My favorites. 1/2 the lights just went out on my tree. Can't figure out the culprit. Siigh.

C D Meetens said...

Christine: They're extra special at night, aren't they? And thanks!

Nicole: Me too. Turning on the lights is the first thing I do when I get home in the evening.

M Pax: Spaceship ornaments - they sound cool! Something uniquely special. For a while, my sister did stocking gifts, and she would select an ornament (or two) each year. Each one of those she gave me is special to me. Sorry about your lights. It's so difficult to figure out which bulb is misbehaving, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

That is such a wonderful memory... Each year a buy a new ornament for my tree, and when I'm overseas i make sure to buy one there as well... so now my tree is a collection of ornaments over time...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

The moment I get home, the tree lights go on! I enjoy them. And we always have fun trimming the tree. It's a mixture of ornaments, spanning many years.

C D Meetens said...

TF Walsh: I like the idea of buying an ornament overseas - that's a lovely way to make the tree decorations more personal.

Alex: Same with me :). I've never had a real tree. I imagine it must be lovely with the smell of pine... even if the needles get everywhere.

Tasha Seegmiller said...

This was a great post. I love reading children's Christmas books by Christmas tree light. Nothing like it. New follower!

C D Meetens said...

Thanks, Tasha. Reading the books by Christmas tree light sounds like it would set the perfect mood.

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