I get it, I really do. Christmas has passed. And what exactly is a Wishmas tree? It’s our family’s approach to considering others. I initiated this when our children were younger, as this time of year often revolves around asking for things for ourselves, right? Thus, I developed the Wishmas tree to focus on asking for things for other people instead.
It’s a modest tree that we now place in the dining area, but when the kids were small, they adored having it right in the kitchen! It was “almost” as thrilling as their advent calendars. I adorn it with a simple garland—this year’s choice was a bell garland from Michael’s. I bought it last year, but I’ve found some comparable garlands here and here.
Although it wasn’t originally intended for this purpose, it has transformed into a sort of time capsule for our family. Each year, the kids express wishes related to the events happening around us. With a senior in high school this year, you can guess how intensely she wishes for certain things.
The guidelines are pretty straightforward. They must wish for something or someone other than themselves. The Wishmas tree is about taking the time to consider others. My son might have wished for reduced taxes 😉, but he also expressed a desire for a coworker to recover. No questions asked. It makes me glad to see him caring for someone else.
If you ever wish to have your own Wishmas tree, I hope this inspires you! I keep the cards/ornaments stored away to look back at as they grow older…and it always seems like we’ve never had this tradition until I show them. Ugh.
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