May Your Days Be Merry + Bright

Happy Holidays from Pretty Brainy

STEAM Learning Christmas Tree_Pretty Brainy

Michael Johansson photo

“A” is for “Arts,” the component that turns STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) into STEAM. The art and story of the Christmas Tree is our seasonal blog for you this holiday. Scroll to add your own stories, too, of trimming the tree or letting your creativity fly, such as with this tree, titled, “merry mirror.”

Legend of the Christmas Tree

The First Christmas Tree “Decorations” Were Steeped in Mysticism

The following is adapted from Take Joy! The Tasha Tudor Christmas Book (Cleveland: The World Publishing Company, 1966)

Legend of the Christmas Tree from Pretty Brainy

Courtesy crazy-frankenstein.com

For centuries, says a German tale, good people walking in the forest on Christmas Eve have seen a single tree in full bloom, glowing with light, with a beautiful child sitting in its branches.

Today the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree — made festive with lights or tinsel or cranberries and popcorn — is a reminder of the miracle of the shining tree in a dark forest on Christmas Eve.

Trimming Your Tree, from the Vintage Touch of Cranberries & Popcorn to Shiny Baubles from Designer Boutiques

Christmas Tree Decorations anchor our holiday traditions

Christmas Eve 2007: “I had been traveling in the Exuma Cays, and this was the first Christmas Tree of the season I had seen. Right away I wanted to stand beside it.” – Pretty Brainy CEO Heidi Olinger

What traditions do you have for decorating your tree for the holidays? Are your Christmas tree decorations family heirlooms or your children’s school projects?

Sharing Christmas Tree Traditions and DIY Decor from Pretty BrainyDo you take the time to string cranberries and popcorn or do you indulge in the latest decor from Neiman Marcus or One King’s Lane?

Do you decorate multiple trees, as one of our friends does each year, or do you keep a single tree decorated year-round, as we have seen beautifully done in other homes?

We love your ideas and traditions. Scroll and click below to share your stories of the holiday season.

P.S. You may like these holiday posts, too.

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