Going for the Christmas Tree: A True Story

Also, anyone who has visited Rockefeller Center during Christmas will relate to this story. Nov 18, Cresta McGowan rated it it was amazing Shelves: Nov 02, Arlene rated it really liked it. One of the best Christmas stories I've ever read. Love of nature, friendship, sharing. It is not just a story for kids, it's for adults too. My sister gave this book to my kids for Christmas and I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting by myself.

Totally heartwearming story about a little orphan who grows up in a convent total fantasy because by and large the nuns were nice and loving toward her--the author obviously didn't go to Catholic school and befriends a sapling tree on the grounds of the convent. She joins the nuns in adulthood and eventually has to part with the tree and it becomes the Rockefeller Center Christmas My sister gave this book to my kids for Christmas and I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting by myself. She joins the nuns in adulthood and eventually has to part with the tree and it becomes the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree one year.

I will probably read this book every year and I'm planning to read it to the kids out loud. This is a delightful story about loving nature and honoring the beauty of "The Tree" that would become The Rockefeller Center Tree. It is heartwarming and at the same time captures the narrator's complex holiday chaos, hustle and bustle and his desire to recapture the true meaning of Christmas in his own heart.

A reminder that every tree is a giving tree! Oct 22, Kathryn rated it it was amazing Shelves: I am so very glad my library was able to find a copy of this little book for me. I requested it back in October or November and much to my surprise it arrived in February. This is a little story full of the love of Tree, the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Square and how it came to be there this one particular year. Dec 29, Linore rated it really liked it. Sweet, nostalgic, and touching, this makes a nice addition to anyone's holiday reading list. As a bonus, you get the inside scoop of what it takes to get that giant tree each year in Rockefeller Center.

It's the kind of story that's so nice you wish it weren't fiction.

1. The Christmas tree: From pagan origins and Christian symbolism to secular status.
2. Conoscere lo Spirito (Spada dello Spirito Vol. 2) (Italian Edition).
3. A Basic Guide to Buying a Business;
4. History of Christmas Trees.
5. Modern Christmas trees a German tradition.

Dec 03, Andrea Wright rated it really liked it. This was a wonderful read with my morning coffee and highly recommend it to anyone. What a surprise I had to find that I knew the story already.

I watched a t. Quick little read and book. I really enjoyed the whole story and wished it was longer. A great read around the holidays. Jul 08, Jodi rated it it was amazing. A heartwarming story a try to read every year at Christmas time. Dec 28, Kim Skwira hoffmann rated it it was amazing. Always a nice little story to reread at Christmas. Adorable little Christmas read about a Rockefeller Christmas Tree! Having added this book to my book list, I was unable to find it for many years. The Christmas Tree was first written in I am fortunate to have found this twentieth-anniversary edition for Kindle.

The author says she was hoping to write a story that adults and children would enjoy. So this is not a book written specifically for early readers. But it works very well as the sort of book parents might read to their children. The head gardener at Rockefeller Center in New York has the job of find Having added this book to my book list, I was unable to find it for many years.

The head gardener at Rockefeller Center in New York has the job of finding the perfect Christmas tree every year. One year he heard about a tree at a convent in the prettiest part of New Jersey and went out to take a look at it. She told the gardener the story of how she first came to the convent as a child and befriended the tree when it was a sapling.

The gardener made it a point to not come between people and their trees, so he abandoned the idea of that tree for that year, but he became friends with the nun, and over a period of several years, he heard more of her story and in a way became part of the story. Dec 20, Mary rated it really liked it Shelves: The Christmas Tree is exactly what I look for in a Christmas story - a little sadness that only makes the the reader appreciate the sweetness of this hopeful little story.

The Chief Gardner at Rockefeller Center is looking for the perfect tree for the centerpiece of the Christmas decorations when he comes across the perfect tree on the grounds of a convent. There he meets Sister Anthony, the person who will decide if he can have the tree or not.

The Christmas Tree

They become friends of sorts and he comes out to l The Christmas Tree is exactly what I look for in a Christmas story - a little sadness that only makes the the reader appreciate the sweetness of this hopeful little story. They become friends of sorts and he comes out to lead presentations. In turn Sister Anthony helps him realize that he does believe in Christmas and his job, a true gift and in return The Chief Gardner gives Sister Anthony a gift without price.

I'll be reading this every holiday. Oct 18, Concetta Kellough rated it it was amazing. I absolutely loved it even though I balled my eyes out. I have tried finding the movie every Christmas since then to no avail. I was finally able to see on IMDB. I didn't know it was a book, but when I saw it was being published again I couldn't wait to read it.

It's a short book and after I had gotten a few pages into it I thought, "Surely, this is going to be one of the few times when a movie is better than a book. At least it won't make me cry.

Origin of the Christmas Tree

The book is absolutely wonderful, How can anyone not fall in love with Sister Anthony? And, once again, I sobbed like a child. It is a story of pure love and God's grace. I will be recommending this book to family and friends this Christmas. Nov 24, Phaedra rated it it was ok. It's such a short book that to write anything about it becomes the entire story. So, all I'll say is that I thought the prologue was the best part.

Reading about what it takes to find and transport the tree made it come alive to me. Dec 09, Emileine rated it really liked it. This was a random and unexpected find on the shelf of our local library. I fell in love with the simple storyline, and although not a Catholic myself, have always found stories about nuns and people who meet them endearing. Dec 14, Mary rated it it was amazing. Wow, my favorite Christmas read this Christmas season!!!

From pagan customs to Christianity

What a great story - Sister Anthony and Tree - great characters. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Once on a cold Christmas Eve night, a forester and his family were in their cottage gathered round the fire to keep warm. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. When the forester opened the door, he found a poor little boy standing on the door step, lost and alone.

The forester welcomed him into his house and the family fed and washed him and put him to bed in the youngest sons own bed he had to share with his brother that night! The next morning, Christmas Morning, the family were woken up by a choir of angels, and the poor little boy had turned into Jesus, the Christ Child. The Christ Child went into the front garden of the cottage and broke a branch off a Fir tree and gave it to the family as a present to say thank you for looking after him.

So ever since them, people have remembered that night by bringing a Christmas Tree into their homes! In Germany, the first Christmas Trees were decorated with edible things, such as gingerbread and gold covered apples. Then glass makers made special small ornaments similar to some of the decorations used today. In an unknown German wrote: At first, a figure of the Baby Jesus was put on the top of the tree. The first Christmas Trees came to Britain sometime in the s. The drawing was republished in Godey's Lady's Book, Philadelphia in December but they removed the Queen's crown and Prince Albert's moustache to make it look 'American'!

In Victorian times, the tree would have been decorated with candles to represent stars. In many parts of Europe, candles are still used to decorate Christmas trees.

Tinsel was also created in Germany, were it was originally made from thin strips of beaten silver. These tales seem to have started in Eastern Germany or Ukraine but are also told in parts of Finland and Scandinavia. All the versions of the story involve a poor family who can't afford to decorate a Tree for Christmas in some versions the tree grew from a pine cone in their house, in others the family have bought a tree into the house. When the children go to sleep on Christmas Eve a spider covers the tree in cobwebs. Then on Christmas morning the cobwebs are magically turned into silver and gold strands which decorate the tree!

In parts of Germany, Poland, and Ukraine it's meant to be good luck to find a spider or a spider's web on your Christmas Tree. Spider's web Christmas Tree decorations are also popular in Ukraine. They're called 'pavuchky' which means 'little spider' and the decorations are normally made of paper and silver wire.

You might even put an artificial spider's web on your tree! There are a few different claims as to who invented popularised the first strings of 'electric' Christmas Tree lights. In , the famous inventor Thomas Edison put some of his new electric light bulbs around his office.

Origin of the Christmas Tree

And in Edward Johnson, who was a colleague of Edison, hand-strung 80 red, white and blue bulbs together and put them on his tree in his New York apartment there were two additional strings of 28 lights mounted from the ceiling! In the Edison company published a brochure offering lighting services for Christmas.

In another Edison advert offered bulbs which you could rent, along with their lighting system, for use over Christmas! There are records in a diary from where settlers in Montana used electric lights on a tree. However, most people couldn't easily use electric tree lights at this time as electricity wasn't widely installed in homes.

Electric tree lights first because widely known in the USA in when President Grover Cleveland has the tree in the White House decorated with lights as his young daughters liked them! All Mine to Give An immigrant family in 's Wisconsin prospers until tragedy strikes. Christmas Angel TV Movie Mandie and the Forgotten Christmas To help those looking to purchase this movie, it is also known as "Oh Christmas Tree". Christmas Snow TV Movie Christmas Connection TV Movie Edit Cast Credited cast: Sarah Wright Tim Reid Dale Landis Stephen Huszar John Keaton Roger Dunn Judge Sam Conner Alison Brooks Abby Wright Peter Michael Dillon Frank Wright Krista Morin Jessica Keller Rest of cast listed alphabetically: Extra Julia Scarlett Dan Young Sarah Toni Ellwand Marcie Whitcomb Indy Forrest Edit Storyline It's Christmas and once again, Dale Landis places a tree on his roof and ends up in court.

Edit Details Official Sites: Edit Did You Know? Trivia Restaurants that serve alcohol in Canada usually display a "licensed" sign. These are clearly visible in the street scenes.