The Story of the Easter Tree

When I was a little girl I lived in Montreal. My Uncle Bill had a cottage in the Laurentions, on a lake called Lake McDonald, just up the road from Lost River. I loved Lake McDonald and the sweet, little cottage that sat above the lake in the forest.

One Christmas my Uncle Bill took his girlfriend to the cottage. They cut down a tree and decorated it. By all accounts they spent a very romantic holiday at Lake McDonald.

When they left the cottage they forgot to take down the Christmas tree. It sat in the cottage until my family came up for Easter. It must have been March as I remember there was still snow on the ground, enough that we could see the Easter Bunny’s paw prints on Easter day.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. What we found upon our arrival was a tree bereft of it’s needles, it’s branches bare. My mother, being her wonderful self, immediately saw a purpose for this naked fir tree – it had been an excellent Christmas tree; why not turn it into an Easter Tree? The fact that this had never been done before was no deterrent for my mother. She immediately set us on the task of blowing and decorating as many eggs as we could and placing them on our now Easter Tree. On Easter Eve my little brother and I placed our baskets under the tree and tip toed off to bed, while visions of jellybeans danced through our heads.

That Easter a tradition was born, one that I have passed onto my children. Each Easter we search for the perfect branches to become our Easter Tree. It’s important that the branches be in bloom, or about to bloom and that we always use live branches (which is easier then keeping the Christmas Tree until Easter!) Each year we decorate new eggs to add to the previous years and place the Easter Baskets under the tree. The Easter Bunny must love it because year after year, he fills the baskets and hides eggs filled with candies and money all over the house and yard!

My mother created this family tradition, which I have passed onto my girls, as they will, no doubt, pass on to their children. And even though my mother didn’t live long enough to know her grandchildren, they will always feel this connection to her through our tradition of the Easter Tree.

Happy Easter Everyone. May your Spring be filled with rebirth, renewal and growth!

Megan Edge
Psy-chick Healing Studio
megan@psy-chick.net
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