Christmas Trees

Our tree at the Filley 2015

Everyone is so busy during the holiday season that I will try to keep my blog postings shorter.  Writing about how Isaac B. Werner celebrated Christmas day is reason enough to need few words.  Nearly always he celebrated alone, sometimes writing letters.  Occasionally he attended a holiday party near Christmas, and one year he was the chairman of a Christmas celebration of Farmers' Alliance members.  If he was lonely, he didn't express that loneliness in his journal, but it must have been hard to be far from family, without a wife and children of his own, on Christmas day.

One current holiday celebration in Isaac's old community  is the Festival of Trees at the Filley Art Museum in Pratt, Kansas.  During December the museum is charging no admission fee, so everyone can enjoy their gallery of trees.  My husband and I decorated our tree for the show with the theme of a "Red, White & Blue Country Christmas."  It has ornaments collected over the years and gifted to us by family and friends.  Eighteen beautiful and unique trees are displayed, and five of those will be given away in a drawing at the open house reception.  The rest are private family trees on loan for the festival.  Read more about the Festival of Trees at www.VernonFilleyArtMuseum.org.  

Close-up of our tree

 Last year we loaned our "Angels & Ancestors" tree for the Filley holiday show, and this year we are enjoying that tree back in our own home.  (See "Collections & Creations," 12/4/2014 in the Blog Archives.)  Part of our annual holiday season is inviting our ancestors to our home as we remember them by placing their photograph ornaments on our tree and seeing them there throughout the season.  (See "Christmas Guests," 12/13/2012 in the Blog Archives.)

Our tree at the Filley 2014

America is a land of many cultures, and we celebrate the holiday season in different ways, some of which we loan to each other!  Cultures around the world celebrate the winter season in a wide variety of ways as well, and some of those customs were brought to America by immigrants.  However those of you who follow my blog celebrate the season, Happy Holidays!