Traditions are one of the most important parts of the holiday season. Many people share similar family traditions, yet there are always a few tiny changes setting them apart from others. This could be as simple as one extra teaspoon of sugar in Grandma’s pudding, playing a homemade game consisting of money jackpots to stir up mischief, or wearing particular clothes, like fuzzy socks, to dinner.

One tradition my family never let die is cutting down a fresh Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. This goes back to my mom growing up on a Christmas tree farm in Hart, Michigan, when the town didn’t start celebrating Christmas until the Friday after Thanksgiving, when it hosted its annual Christmas parade. Honoring her past, as soon as Thanksgiving dinner is over, my mom starts gathering up all the fall decorations, instantly stowing them away and replacing them with her Christmas décor.

“You aren’t allowed to decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving,” my grandma and mom would always say.

Although my grandparents are no longer with us, nor is their farm, my mom found a Christmas tree farm where she is still able to find her favorite type of tree, a Frazier fir.

“We have to get a Frazier, otherwise the pine needles will fall off too soon,” my mom always argued. So, sure enough, we always end up taking home a Frazier tree cut down by my father and his chainsaw skills.

Picking out a tree to suit our living room and having the fresh smell of pine brings back years of memories. I was fortunate enough to be home for the holidays this year to participate in this tradition. Although I had to leave the following day, picking out the tree always used to make decorating for the holidays that much more special. Plastic, boxed trees are convenient, but similar to reading a digital book as opposed to a hard copy — it’s just not the same.

I love going to Church’s Tree Farm because it is family-owned and -operated and allows families the chance to purchase a pre-cut tree or to hop on a wagon ride to find a tree to cut down. They have a garage filled with hot cocoa, peppermints and roasted chestnuts, making the experience that much more festive and special.

Whether you are cutting down your own tree or pulling one out of storage, there’s no better holiday than Christmas when it comes to traditions.

— Christyn Pek, business development executive