I had a tiny pre-decorated tree at my old apartment out in the country, which was no doubt left behind by a predecessor who wanted the place to feel a little more like home during the Christmas season. I left it behind because, not only was I taking way more stuff than I thought I even owned, the tree just didn’t do anything for me. For me, the act of decorating a tree with ornaments that represent places I’ve been and people I’ve met, rather than simply having a tree, is what invoked warm fuzzy holiday feelings. In fact, as a secular/cultural participant, the tree symbolizes the feeling as if winter has arrived, as the trimming of the tree coincides with the solstice and often the first big snow.
