Weird Christmas Tree News: Trump, Fur Ornament Fury, Drought, And Allergies
When it comes to Christmas tree news, the normal run-of-the-mill headlines are out there, but there are also a lot of weird holiday tales being told in 2016.
Normal news about Christmas trees includes Michelle Obama welcoming the White House tree. The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports the tree arrived on November 25, and the 2016 contest award winners from the National Christmas Tree Association were Dave and Mary Vander Velden, of Oconto, Wisconsin.
One other story about Christmas trees that appears every year is how people are using Christmas trees to raise money for good causes. Herald Mail reports on November 27 that locals in Mount Aetna, Maryland are selling Christmas trees to raise money for their volunteer fire department.
On the other hand, there are some stories about Christmas trees in 2016 that are real head-turners. For example, Deutsche Welle reports on November 27 that there is controversy about a Christmas tree in Munich, Germany, and locals are offended by the Fendi ornaments it is decorated with.
The Christmas tree is in a hotel, and it is decorated with ornaments designed by Fendi that cost around $520 to $1,060 apiece. The reason that locals are outraged is due to the fluffy Christmas tree ornaments being made out of the fur of real animals such as rabbits, minks, and foxes.
Speaking of ornaments, another weird 2016 Christmas tree story relates to Donald Trump. According to a November 25 report from Good, on Amazon, there is a Donald Trump Christmas tree ornament that costs over $100, and it is themed around his “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan.
While that might be weird in and of itself, it appears that there are almost 100 “customer” reviews that are venting their rage about Donald Trump getting elected. For example, one reviewer says the following about the Donald Trump Christmas ornament.
“This ornament appeared on my tree, against my own choice, and now my tree is very aggressive towards my wife. There’s empty breath mint containers around the floor near the tree, and I’m discouraging female friends and family to go anywhere near the tree.”
Other oddball Christmas tree stories in 2016 revolve around a Harry Potter-themed Christmas tree. ABC News writes on November 26 that a woman in the U.K., Kathryn Burnett, collected so much memorabilia about Harry Potter from the London shop Warner Bros. Studio Tours that she decided “it was a shame I kept it all in boxes in the cupboard under the stairs.”
Other weird news about Christmas trees this year is sad. For example, the Sacramento Bee writes that the local drought has negatively affected Christmas tree farmers in the area. Oddities that are affecting Christmas tree farmers in northern California include limited water over the past five years that has caused some varieties of trees to look brown.
Another downer for the Christmas tree season is the emergence of a health condition called Christmas tree syndrome. The Salina Journal reported that a local Kansas woman and her husband would get sick every holiday season, and their doctor informed the entire family that the cause of their respiratory issues was the Christmas tree.
The symptoms of Christmas tree syndrome include “allergies and colds caused by the presence of a live tree filled with pollens, dust, pine resin, or various molds.” The alternative is to use an artificial tree that has not been allowed to collect dust.
There is also a Christmas tree “grinch” on the loose in 2016. According to KTVK in Arizona, a local organization called the Scottsdale Adventure Club went through an annual tradition of placing a live 15-foot Christmas tree on top of a local mountain.
Despite the fact this group spent almost four hours hauling the Christmas tree up Camelback Mountain and it took about 15 people to move it, within a day the tree was cut down by an unknown person.
For Christmas tree lovers that are worried that they might look weird about erecting a tree as early as possible, there is good news if you live in NYC. According to PIX 11, it has now officially been declared by Manhattan locals that Thanksgiving is not too early to buy a Christmas Tree, and having a tree-trimming party with friends is a must.
[Feature Image by Michael Dodge/Getty Images]
