My grandfather’s Christmas tree

The Persistence of Memory- Salvador Dali

After my grandmother passed away, in May 1991, my grandfather was left with the huge responsibility to take care of the Christmas decoration in their house. My grandmother was an artist: she could embroider, paint, cook, and she did everything skillfully. Each Christmas she had something new to surprise us. Once, to our delight, she made a beautiful woolen Santa Claus that came down from the ceiling, carrying a bag full of presents.

My poor grandfather soon recognized how hard it would be to compete with such creativity. So he decided to do something different: in December 1991, he decorated the Christmas tree and, as he was a very practical man, he decided to keep it that way all year round.

The tree was placed on a little coffee table beside the sofa and, depending on the time of the year, some ornaments were changed. On Easter, for example, the Christmas angels were replaced by colorful chocolate eggs. During  Carnival, its branches were covered with confetti and paper ribbons and in June, they were decorated with colorful little flags, typical ornaments from Festas Juninas, festivals in honor to Saint John, Saint Antony and Saint Peter.

Even with so many changes, there was an ornament that was never replaced. A golden star, which had been made by my grandmother, would be shining at the top of the tree throughout the year. I do believe that this star carried in it a little of all the things my grandmother left in people’s life: joy and light.

I think that we, human beings, are not that different from this Christmas tree. In J.D. Salinger’s novel “The catcher in the Rye”, a teacher explains to one of his students the importance of arts and poetry saying: “Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now.  Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles.”

This means that no matter when or where we were born, we all deal with the same anxieties and carry within ourselves the desire to be happy. Just like my grandfather’s Christmas tree our essence never changes, only the ornaments are replaced: the haircut, the car, the clothes and the makeup.

As for the star that was put on the top of the tree, I believe it represents what makes us different from one another, what makes us unique. It shows us that even having the same essence, there is a light inside us that shines in its own way: our souls.

At the end of 1995, before my grandfather had time to take out the little flags from the Festas Juninas, the tree was dismantled forever. In my box of souvenirs I kept a pen from Venice, a wine cork shaped like a little doll and the memories of joy for having had the privilege to live close to such special people, eternal shining stars.