TREE DRESSING DAY – Dec 7/8

Tree Dressing Day – Do you really appreciate trees?  

They’ve been around since the beginning of time and can be found all around us.   Trees provide us with beauty and life: they are the subject of many causes and debates; and descriptions of their lush greenery is often raved about in fiction books.

The story goes that in the Himalayas the Maharaja of Jodhpur ordered men to cut down trees that could be used to build his palace.

But, a woman who might have been described as an early tree hugger, stood to protect the trees – and was axed down for her efforts!  Many other women and children followed suit that day, and two hundred years on people from the area are fighting against logging companies.

Tree Dressing Day has been created because trees are taken for granted all the time.  They are cut down without a second thought, and many animals end up losing their habitat.  This provides us with a lot less oxygen too – an American sycamore can absorb up to three tonnes of carbon per year.

Even buying trees is a bigger responsibility than you may think – it’s really important to make sure your trees and shrubs are watered and cared for once you’ve bought them.

From the 7-8 December 2013 this festival will celebrate hundreds of ancient customs from all over the world.   And there are lots of fun ways you can take part.   Dressing trees with ribbons, shapes, lanterns or any other type of decoration that will make them stand out.   So remember to use bright colors!

Activities like dancing and storytelling are also a great way to celebrate different cultures together.   You can also find ancient tree myths and stories at the website as well of lots of ideas for celebrating the day.

The first weekend in December

Tree Dressing Day aims to encourage the celebration of trees in city and country, in the street, village green – anywhere in the public domain. It highlights our responsibility for looking after trees and reminds us of their enormous cultural and environmental importance.

Tree dressing is based on many old customs from all over the world and at different times of the year.

Tree Dressing Day was initiated by Common Ground in 1990. We decorated a group of London Plane trees on the junction of Shaftesbury Avenue and High Holborn in Covent Garden with 150 large number, showing that EVERY TREE COUNTS! Since then, groups and individuals have dressed their trees all over the country.

Always the first full weekend in December

Help to create your own social celebration of the trees in your place. This cross-cultural community expression for everyday nature could include storytelling, dance, music, hanging ribbons, shapes, shining lights, anything which draws attention to the trees we take for granted, an enjoyable first step towards taking more care of them.

Our beautiful and idea provoking full-colour A1 Tree Dressing Day poster is available from our PUBLICATIONS PAGES. Also available are the Tree Dressing Times and Manual – two publications containing a code of practice, examples, history and the Manifesto for Trees.

Read more about TREE DRESSING DAY and see some examples on the TREES PATHWAY of www.england-in-particular.info.
 
ARBOR DAYS AROUND THE GLOBE – HERE