A charming feature of the present festive season is the decorated evergreen Christmas tree, ablaze with tiny lights, which represents the spirituality of Christmas. In Europe and elsewhere, pine and fir are species grown as fresh Christmas trees. At times, when they were not readily available potted, a similar species of conifer, perchance, Norfolk Island pine (star pine, Araucaria Heterophylla) is acquired as a substitute.

The topic of substitution brings to my mind a letter I came across in an old edition of an Australian magazine. It was written by a woman about her great-grandmother who was a colonist passenger in a ship sailing from England bound for Australia more than 165 years ago. In 1851, there was a gold rush in Australia when gold had been discovered at Ballarat, closer to Melbourne which caused such an on-rush of emigration that during 1852-57 about 225,000 people arrived in Australia. In fact, the urge for emigration has been gathering momentum much earlier due to the 1845 blight that ruined the potato crop, the staple diet of Ireland. As a result of that Irish Potato Famine, about one million Irish citizens died from disease and starvation; while another million emigrated; mostly to America.

At that time, the ship building sector was also undergoing a transitional period when sailing ships were changing from wood to steel although some ships were made from iron. The subject ship had an auxiliary steam engine for use when the wind was calm or contrary. While her engine was only capable of 200 horse power, I reckon, it took about 60 days to reach Australia from England.

As the narration goes, everyone in that ship was looking forward to spend Christmas in the new land and ladle great helpings of Aussie hospitality. But, on the Christmas Eve, all passengers were disheartened to learn that the ship was still hundreds of miles away from the seashore which meant – no Christmas tree. But when the children gathered in the ship’s saloon for their gifts, they were surprised to find a little tree with real leaves. That tree, adorned with tinsel ornaments and white sugar for ‘snow,’ was already lighted with tiny candles.

Assuming that the ship will be delayed and Christmas would be spent at wintry sea, the ship’s carpenter, a “rough diamond” but a “very smart man” and a stickler to the “Englishness” of Christmas, took the task to make the tree. Upon sailing from Cape Town, he sowed parsley seeds in a box filled with sand (from ship’s ballast) and sawdust. While it was kept out of reach of salt spray, the crew took turns to water it using their daily allowance of drinking water. As Christmas neared, the parsley had grown luxuriantly. From the firewood the carpenter carved out the stem and the branches on which the parsley leaves were tied. Thus, a Christmas tree was born!

True to the Christmas ideal, how thoughtful of the ship’s carpenter to use his skill to create and decorate the Christmas tree and share it to swell the hearts of friends and strangers. Just as it always does, Christmas invites us to throw open the doors of our hearts and homes for child Jesus and love to come in. Are you decorating your Christmas tree today? – Jo

Images of Christmas tree courtesy: Sharon Grace Martinez

(©Joseph Sébastine/Manningtree Archive)