I was recently looking at some old pictures and was trying to remember what Christmas trees we had when I was growing up. As I looked back I found some really old pictures. Above was my grandparents’ Christmas tree when my Dad was 4 years old. Taken in 1928 in Argentina where he was born and grew up until he was in high school when they moved to Clearwater for my grandfather’s job. The toys were pretty funny and this must have been taken after they opened presents.

My parents first Christmas tree together. Taken in 1952, the same year they were married. I can’t tell if it’s real or not. The first “tree like” trees were invented in the 30’s with brush bristles.

These were taken in 1958. It was several years before I was born but my sisters were in the top shot on the left. Again, look at those toys. I’m thinking that’s a record player on the floor on the far left.

1972 – I was nine. I think this was our first green tree. Before that we had those silver aluminum trees with the color wheel that changed colors that was so popular in the 60’s. I couldn’t find a picture of one that we had.

Apparently you can still buy them on Amazon. A mid-century modern reproduction aluminum

The above is also in 1972. We used to drive down from Birmingham to the Tampa bay area to visit my grandparents for the holidays. My grandparents always had a little table top tree. That’s me on the left and my sister, Debbie, on the right.

1974 – my grandparents had that same tree forever.

In 1978 we bought a new tree for the living room and put the old tree down in the den with older handmade ornaments.

1981 – Mom and me next to the tree. We had just come home from Christmas Eve mass.

My sister and I lived together for several years in Atlanta and this was the tree we had in our apartment. We had been collecting ornaments from our travels.

In 1989 this was our last tree in the house I grew up in. The next year my parents retired and moved back down to the Clearwater area.

The same tree next year in my parents new house in Florida.

My sisters and I always came down to Florida for Christmas and Brett came one year.

This was Brett and mine’s first tree together. It was a real tree, my first real tree. Every year we lived in Atlanta we would go out on the weekend after Thanksgiving and pick out a tree.

Our first tree in Tampa in 2002. We bought a fake one on sale.

2001 – After my Dad died and my Mom moved into a retirement apartment we downsized and got her a table top tree. Can you find the 2 cockatiels to the left on the tree table? Buddy and Smokey always made the trip down with me from Atlanta.

My Mom’s last Christmas in 2004.

It’s fun to see how the trees have changed over the years.  What about you? Are your trees real or fake? Do you have any tree “traditions”?

 

Linking up to A Stroll Thru Life