By Daniel Human
Wooded groves have sprung around Howard County.
Many of the trees are actually plastic and aluminum. Some have lights poking through as they illuminate the branches, while others are as naked as their real-life counterparts.
The appearance of Christmas trees in stores and on roadsides is one of the first tell-tales signs that the holiday season is near.
Researchers have traced Christmas trees’ origins back as far as the Dark Ages of central Europe. Now they light up millions of homes in the U.S. for a few weeks every year as one of the top secularist symbols of the holiday.
As much as 1,000 years ago, bare-branched evergreen Yule trees became common in homes as a cheerful reminder that winter was not totally overwrought with death.
Families today drape trees in garland and neon-colored lights. Some decorate their branches with a hodge-podge of “Mom’s and Grandma’s ornaments” collected over lifetimes. Others use strategically planned color schemes and eye-appealing ornaments to bring the entire room to focus on the pine-laden centerpiece.
Danielle Miller, a co-manager at Hobby Lobby in Kokomo, said some of the store’s customers begin preparing for the holiday as early as summer.
“We’ve had Christmas full-blown since July,” she said. “Folks want to start their Christmas crafting earlier than everyone else imagines.”
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