The Holidays

Author's Note: Over teacher's convention, my family and I went Up North. While we were up there, we went to this Halloween festival/ craft fair, where my mom got this really good smelling candle. The candle smelled like a Christmas tree. It made me think of how fast the holidays are coming and how much fun it is to decorate for them. I focused on word choice in this piece.

Currently, there are over 100,000 people employed in the Christmas tree industry. This is about 8 times the population of Pewaukee. So many people are needed because up to 36 million Christmas Trees are produced each year. (That would be enough trees for each person in Wisconsin to have about six trees!) Christmas trees are a big part of celebrating the holiday. Families love setting up the trees and putting delicate ornaments on them. Decorating for Christmas is so much fun, because I love the memories that it brings back.

Setting up decorations means so much to me because I love tradition. The definition of tradition is: the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. My mom has an advent calendar that has been handed down to her by her mom. There are 25 pockets on the calendar. In each pocket, there is a handmade ornament along with a poem about the ornament. My sister and I take turns on who gets to put it up. This is one of our many Christmas traditions.

All families have their own customs. Some watch movies. Some put up their tree together. Whatever it is, each family has a tradition of their own. This makes the holidays special. Christmas also brings families together. For some families, this is the only time of year they see each other. With all that goes on with Christmas though, we can't forget the real meaning of why we celebrate it. We celebrate the birth of Jesus. Why do you like Christmas?

" Wisconsin's population growth ." Department of Workforce Development. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/oea/articles/populationgrowth_0304.htm.

"Christmas Tree facts - fun and true." Christmas Tree Farms, Tree Lots, Hayrides, Sleigh Rides and Other Winter Fun . N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. http://pickyourownchristmastree.org/facts.php.

"Pewaukee, Wisconsin (WI 53072) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders." Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, house prices, home value estimator, recent sales, cost of living, crime, race, income, photos, education, maps, weather, houses, schools, neighborhoods, and more. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. <http://www.city-data.com/city/Pewaukee-Wisconsin.html>.