O Christmas Tree
Our first year in China, in 1997, we didn’t think we would have a Christmas tree. We had a few humble decorations, but in those days Christmas was not well recognized in China. In our city of a few million people, we saw maybe half a dozen signs of Christmas around town. Most of the people we knew were not conscious of the actual date for Christmas. Nowadays, as affluence grows, it is much different. Christmas is becoming a big commercial holiday all around China, and throughout Asia. And in Singapore, which is about 15% Christian (majority Buddhist/Daoist, with minority Muslims and Hindus), it is a huge commercial deal.
On Christmas Eve that year, Kimberly and I were on our bikes riding around downtown doing a little shopping. Low and behold! We saw a Christmas tree! Green plastic, about three feet tall. We had to get it. That served us for two years in China…
And for our first eight years in Singapore, we also had a trusty fake 6-foot tree that served us well. But last year, Kimberly put her maternal foot down and felt that our children ought to have the experience of a real Christmas tree. So… we got one.
Tonight we went out and got our second real Christmas tree in Singapore! I am sure this is the earliest we have ever put up a Christmas tree, even when we had a fake one in the closet. (Boy, are we looking forward to a holiday!) We found out that it came from the US, so that means it must have been cut down about???!!!
