Yes, I understand. Christmas has passed. And what’s a Wishmas tree, you ask? It’s our family’s way of remembering others. I initiated this idea years ago with our children since this is definitely a time filled with requests for ourselves, right? So, I devised the Wishmas tree to ask for items for others instead.
Currently, it’s a subtle tree that we keep in the dining room, but when the kids were younger, they adored having it in the kitchen! It was “almost” as thrilling as their advent calendars. I adorn it with a simple garland—this year, it was a bell garland from Michael’s. I bought it last year, but I found a few similar garlands here and here.
Although it wasn’t meant for this purpose, it has become somewhat of a time capsule for us. Each year, the children have wished for things that connect to our current world events. With a senior in high school this year, you can imagine how eagerly she has wished for this.
The guidelines are quite straightforward. They must wish for someone or something outside of themselves. The Wishmas tree serves as a moment for considering others. My son might have wished for reduced taxes 😉 , but he also wished for a coworker to recover. No questions posed. I’m just pleased to see him thinking about someone else.
If you ever desire to create your own Wishmas tree, I hope this inspires you! I keep the cards/ornaments stored away to revisit as they grow older…and it seems like I can’t recall ever having this tradition until I show them. Ugh.
