The Life of a Christmas Tree

I never experienced Christmas in my childhood so the tradition of having a real tree decorated inside of a house was unknown to me. Living in Hungary for years, the pile of trees lying around the streets after Christmas made me wonder. Where these trees come from, how they relate to the feast of love and what happens to them after the festivities are over. So I followed the Christmas tree through its motions of survival till its very end.

I learnt that evergreen trees symbolized eternal life already for the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. In the pagan tradition evergreens were believed to scare away the devil in wintertime. The tradition was then converted to Christianity. Legends say that it might have been Martin Luther who first added lighted candles to a tree inside his house to recapture God's presence in nature to his family.

Today there are about a billion spine, spruce and fir trees produced worldwide to supply millions around the world with a Christmas spirit. Lots of land used, CO2 emitted to air just to have that Christmas spirit sitting in our own houses.

Geza inspect the young sibling trees before they make there way to be planted.

In Europe the demand for live trees is about 60 million per year, most of which is transported throughout the continent. Many of the seeds come from Georgia and grown in nurseries, and Christmas tree farms in different countries. From the seed to a two-metre Christmas tree it takes between 8 and 12 years.

In Hungary most of the Christmas trees are grown in the Transdanubia region, mostly in small-scale tree farms, on thousands of hectare. First those come out in November that are transported abroad, for example to Italy or Spain.

Shoppers out and about looking for christmas specials as Christmas markets across the country set themselves up to accommodate shoppers and people to whom love seeing the Christmas spirit.

Truck turns up to one of Budapest's biggest squares called, "Blaha Lujza" Blaha Lujza was a actress that uses to perform in the late 18th Century to the early 19th Century, pretty much where the trees are being placed to be sold to the public. Wonder what Blaha Lujza would feel and say about this?

What size suits us, what will look good in our homes, the symbol of Christmas. In comparison to Europe, Hungary has a high consumption of more than 2 million Christmas trees sold in a country with less than a 10 million population per year.

Decorating a Christmas tree became popular gradually in Hungary. While the first Christmas tree appeared in 15th century in Germany, the tradition only arrived in Hungary in the 1820s and it took another 100 years for it to become the main symbol of Christmas. Tradition from generation to generation, we think what we are doing is right, without thinking of the consequences of what will the future be like for the next generation.

She turned 6 years old this tree did, she lived on top of a hill overlooking the valleys below, she battled 6 harsh winters but yet lived in peace, so for her birthday we Kill her and then dress her up, making ourselves feel satisfied by completing the christmas spirit. Once the tree is purchased, it is taken home and is set up on Christmas Eve (24, December). The decoration is often done in secret and children are told that it is done by little Jesus who also brings all the presents arranged under the Christmas tree. In reality, however, most of the decorations and lightening used throughout the world are produced in China.

She now just stands and listens to the old stories and laughter whilst the tearing of rapping continues, she now understands that her time on this planet is now finished through the understanding of knowing that she is now dying. Families gather around the Christmas tree, and everybody opens their presents. The decorated tree is the epicenter of happiness, giving and sharing, laughter and memories.

Left unwanted as it did not suit our environment know longer. Pruning of all its glory, to find itself in a broken heap.

Christmas trees are also set up in public places in Budapest, some of them are more than 10 meter high. Traditionally all should be taken down the day after Twelfth Night (5 January), on Epiphany. Removing decorations and pruning big branches help transportation and recycling of the millions of trees left behind dead after the festivity.

Non-symmetrical with its surroundings the tree lies and waits, violated by passes by. Although trees are asked to be placed next to bins or to special tree collection sites, many may find itself laying on the streets for days, waiting to be taken away. In Budapest the local counsel collects the trees after Christmas. In most cases they are delivered to the city's main power plant.

Collection of just Christmas trees can go on for up to a week in Budapest.

Christmas trees scooped up to be placed into a machine to be broken down into smaller parts. It would be possible to purchase or rent trees in pots so trees can have a future also after Christmas. Trees that are cut down could also be recycled and turned into compost or mulch so that their environmental value is not lost completely. But instead, most of them end up in landfill sites or in incinerators.

Annually there are more than half a million Christmas trees delivered to the city's main incinerator in Budapest.

The trees are now near there final destination with all the other unwanted items join them on the trees final journey. Here the tree is broken up to smaller pieces and placed inside of a furnace.

Once the tree is inside the furnace, fire does the rest. Annually there is around 100 tons of Christmas trees burnt in Budapest mixed up with the miscellaneous rubbish that is taken to the plant.

By burning the trees and other rubbish, the power plant creates energy that is used for heating and to produce electricity. However, while burning, carbon dioxide is emitted into the air and hazardous waste is produced.

To me the final score is: billions of trees wasted, hundred thousands hectares of land used unwisely, tons of green house gases emitted to the atmosphere by big distance transportation only to have trees once living kept in our homes for fourteen days. It does not seem to me as a fair deal, especially not in the name of a feast of love. There must be other ways that help us to feel and express our love towards each other. Even more so if we think it should be done all year round, not only on some special occasions, and if we believe that Mother Nature should also be a subject of it.