We had our company holiday party last week. It was nice. We closed the office at 2:00 and headed over to our old Distribution Center (nicely decorated for the holidays) for some cocktails, appetizers, service awards and raffle prizes.
But there was work to be done before the party. Each department was given some money and a 3 foot Christmas tree that we had to decorate and load with gifts underneath. The idea was to come up with a theme for the decorations and gifts. Then at the party all the different trees would be raffled off and if you were lucky you would win a tree and the gifts underneath. Naturally, the gang from Fine Woodworking came up with Santa’s Workshop for our theme. A number of our editors and art staff were Santa’s elves and I think they made some pretty nice stuff. The lucky winner went home with our silly tree and some great gifts:
a turned bowl
a turned plate
a cutting board
chopsticks
2 picture frames
a little box
and even the tree topper
Happy holidays everyone.
Comments
Nice presents 'round the tree, Betsy.
But what you failed to address is the authenticity of the tree itself.
Please assure us all that Fine Woodworking would not stoop to using a plastic tree as the photo would suggest.
Perhaps an excursion into the snow covered forest with Clark Griswold would be in order to properly understand about slippery slopes.
Peter, the Grinch
I see that "Political Correctness" has risen its ugly head at Fine Woodworking. That sure looks suspiciously like what I (and millions of others)know as a "Christmas" tree. I also hope you all had fun at your "Holiday" party.
@routerrat,
The one thing that bothers me more than political correctness is people who take pleasure in criticizing what they view as political correctness, when in reality they haven't got a clue.
Like so many symbols of the Christmas season (and the timing of the holiday itself), Christmas trees existed long before they were co-opted by Christians. The earliest record of any sort of tradition of cutting and/or decorating trees in December is from several centuries before Jesus's birth. For example, see Jeremiah 10:1-5 (referring to practices in what is now the Middle East):
"Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel. Thus saith the LORD: 'Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain; for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not; they must be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.'" (KJV)
During the first millenium and a half after Jesus's birth, there were at least as many Christians vehemently opposed to Christmas trees as there were who favored them. Those opposed to the trees considered them to be pagan, although they were only half right: Pagan tradition did (and still does) involve decorating trees (as part of a fertility and solstice ritual), but never included the cutting of live trees.
Incidentally, Christmas trees didn't start showing up in the US until the 1850's.
-Steve
Sorry pboeckh, plastic tree indeed.
Kudos Gina for Fine Woodworking's honesty.
I don't think I have ever been accused of political correctness however, usually more the opposite.
I don't know whether to feel insulted or honoured.
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