A Christmas tree seller gave us a 20-year holiday tradition—and the foolproof trick that keeps the needles on until Epiphany
The Christmas tree appears in the yard as if on its own and stays beautiful until Epiphany—it’s a real Christmas miracle. Important traditions can be born in unexpected moments, writes managing editor Anu Karttunen.
Nineteen years ago in December, the doorbell rang on an ordinary weekday. I had just, with great effort, gotten the baby to sleep in the stroller on the porch, and I dashed to the door, annoyed.
A man stood there in a puffer jacket and a beanie. He whispered that he didn’t want to wake the baby, but if we didn’t yet have a Christmas tree, he had some very good ones from a neighboring town in the back of his van.
I never buy from door-to-door salespeople, but this time—hormone-fogged and touched by his thoughtfulness—I agreed to the deal when the back of the van revealed a tree that was just the right height and nicely narrow, and the price wasn’t bad either.
As the holidays went on, it turned out the tree was perfect—beautiful, well-proportioned, and it didn’t shed at all.
A year later, the doorbell rang again. A tall, narrow tree suited you, didn’t it? Yes, please!
”Over time, the process simplified to the point that, sometime in the weeks before Christmas, a tree would appear in the yard and the invoice in the mailbox.”
And so it went, year after year. Over time, the process simplified to the point that, sometime in the weeks before Christmas, a tree would appear in the yard and the invoice in the mailbox.
When we moved, we panicked a little, because we didn’t have any contact information for the Christmas tree guy. Our deals had always come about on instinct, you could say. Somehow we managed to fish out the mystery seller’s phone number, and a tree appeared at the next address—and later at a third one, too. Every time, top-notch.
The arrival of the Christmas tree has become an important tradition and a sign that the celebration is near. The moral of the whole story might be that sometimes it’s worth giving unexpected doorbell dings a chance. And when you find something good, hold on to it!
”The arrival of the Christmas tree has become an important tradition and a sign that the celebration is near.”
This tree seller’s tip keeps your tree from shedding needles
Years ago, the tree seller gave us a care tip that has kept our trees from shedding all the way to Epiphany. First, make a fresh cut at the base (don’t strip the bark), and add a tiny drop of dish soap to the first water you pour into the tree stand. It should break the surface tension and help the tree drink as much water as possible. The scientific basis may be debatable, but one thing is certain: don’t skimp on the water.
