Dying For Christmas
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday December 13, 1996
Every Christmas it's the same: millions of trees are chopped down all over the world! Never mind that department stores are well stocked with attractive replicas of the real thing - as long as there's one fir left standing on the skyline, mindless men with axes will charge up the slopes and cut it down.
One would think that Christ's birthday could be celebrated by planting a new tree. I mean to say, it's not like after the festivities are over that Uncle Jack will turn the poor tree into a chair or something - not at all, the poor desiccated tree will end up on the rubbish heap, more smoke to enlarge the hole in the ozone!
I can't remember reading anywhere that Jesus said: "And each year, to commemorate my birthday, you will go up on the mountain and chop down a little tree!"
So whose stupid bloody idea was it then?
What's wrong with giving these saplings a chance to grow tall so more birds can build their nests? Why not celebrate Christmas like my smart sister Maree, who ties a few branches together with silver strings and decorates them with the usual baubles and tinsel ribbons? For heavens sake, we don't live in Norway; we're in Australia, the land of the white gums, Burke's Backyard, the pub with no fir!
A bunch of leafless branches resplendent with our own decorations is just right for us! And if you just can't tear yourself away from having to have a European Christmas, why not do what the Norwegians do since they discovered that while it only takes 30 seconds to cut down a tree, it takes 30 years for same to grow. Hire a fir tree from your nursery, do it up, swap your presents under its green, living bough, sing your carols, and a week later take it back!
Now wouldn't Jesus just love that?
C. Frank Kreffl,
December 12 Hornsby Heights.
© 1996 Sydney Morning Herald