The Lighting Of The Candles

Suzanne Tanner | Dec 18, 2013

Christmas, the joy of it all, rich or poor we all celebrate this glorious day in our own traditions.

When marriage dictates that European and Canadian traditions be shared during this festive time there is always a story to follow.

My Swiss husband Hans had some lovely traditions that he wished to carry on in his new country and young family.

And so began the tradition of the Lighting of the Candles. In his home the tree was always a focus of the season. It had to be so high, and it had to be cut from the top of a fir tree bearing lots of pine cones... it had to be so wide and so tall...There had to be lots of space to put some beautiful Christmas balls and space to attach clips that would hold the candles. Here on the property we always found a tree, most times with one or two pine cones on it and certainly not as high or wide as he wanted.

But.... we did have candles and clip holders brought over from the old country to complete some of his European tradition. The trees always had lots of space between the branches to attach both decorations and candles.

The first years we celebrated Christmas together Hans and I did not have children, so I didn't see any problem with the lighting of candles on the tree. He found the perfect trees and I did the decorating

As the years went by, the tradition remained the same... Hans trudged through the bush, brought the tree home and the kids and I did the decorating.

One year however, Hans wasn't home to help us, and so the kids and I trudged through the property to find the perfect tree, and we brought it home to begin the tradition of decorating.

However, with years of collecting decorations, each child with their favorite meant lots and lots of "Christmas" on that tree. I was in charge of placing the candle clips in the most safe way... always at the end of each branch.... Each clip had its own holder to catch the dripping wax. The candles were to be lit.... briefly... just long enough for a few Christmas carols, German and English and French (my mother's side of the family). Easy peasy, right?

And so we did it... Tree beautifully decorated, candles lit.... songs about to be sung.... When suddenly to my horror the tree, which had been decorated only in the front where we all could see each child's "favorite" decoration. (and there were lots of favorites!), began to tilt.... then wobble, then crash!!! I put my arms out to protect my daughter Josée from being knocked over by the branches. Tree, lit candles, decorations, all came falling down!

Most of the candles blew themselves out from the fall; a few Josée and I had to blow out ourselves but thankfully not many. The girls thought it was hilarious! Funny how kids never see the "what might have happened but didn't" danger in things.

When Hans came home the kids made sure he was told the story with all its details.

I mean really, was I to blame for this disaster? Shouldn't he have given me proper instructions? He looked at the tree, which was standing upright once more... he gazed further up at the hook that was attached to the wall, looked at me and said.... "Didn't you tie the tree to that hook with baler twine?"  

In the years that followed we continued to keep up the lighting of candles on our tree, but not so many candles, just three or four. The kids always reminded us: "Don't forget to tie the tree!" Songs were sung in German, English and French and one of them would always end the evening with, "Remember when the tree fell on Josée, Mum?" 

May your lives be blessed with heartwarming stories of your Christmases gone by.

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Schöni Fäschttäg und e guets neus Jahr