Hi everyone.  Another Christmas topic people seem to have strong feelings about are the silver icicles for the tree. Personally I hate them. The dog eats them, the cat bats at them knocking ornaments off and they get all wrapped around the roller thing on the vacuum cleaner. Also, I see no point in spending time decorating a tree only to cover it up with icicles. My grandma puts so many boxes of icicles on her tree you really can't see the tree or ornaments.  She might as well have the same hideous silver tree from the 50s my other grandparents put up every year. My brother thinks a tree needs the icicles and I hate them. We compromised. Only 2 boxes of icicles and if he likes them he puts them on the tree.

What's your take on tree icicles?

I hate them too. Reminds me of the aluminum Christmas tree we had when I was a kid. It's just wrong.

I have mid-1960s memories in Southern California, an aluminum Christmas tree with pink chrome ornaments. 

Last year I looked into whether those are still available and they are.  Just enough weird people like me might want one. 

We used a color wheel on it and it changed colors as the lens rotated. But it had no smell, no falling needles, no need to put water in the stand. Just did not seem very festive. Then to top it off 99% of my Christmases were in 70 degree or above weather. Went to The Rosebowl in Jan wearing a t-shirt. My Bruins defeated Ohio State and Woody Hays.

Tinsel for the win! Um, unless you have cats and dogs. Nothing worse than a cat in full panic being chased by a piece of its own poop. 

In Seattle growing up, we just went to the forest and got a tree.  Always had tinsel on it nicely draped never clumps.  We saved it year after year.  We had an ornament that a hot bulb from the lights would spin a propeller.  Loved that!  Couldn't use them after cool bulbs came out.
Never use tinsel now though.  I'm more of a garland gal now.
Merry Christmas, Jess 🤶

I like them on retro trees or trees out side with lights in them.

Quote from: DawnOday on December 09, 2017, 11:41:56 AM
We used a color wheel on it and it changed colors as the lens rotated. But it had no smell, no falling needles, no need to put water in the stand. Just did not seem very festive. Then to top it off 99% of my Christmases were in 70 degree or above weather. Went to The Rosebowl in Jan wearing a t-shirt. My Bruins defeated Ohio State and Woody Hays.

Ahh color wheel. I didn't know what it was called. My grandparents have that too. I think the reason my dad is into real Christmas trees so much is because my grandparents put up that aluminum thing every year when my dad was growing up. That's especially sad because my dad grew up in the 80s and early 90s which had to be way past the time those aluminum things were in style.

To me it wouldn't seem like Christmas if it was hot outside. For Tristan he finds it weird for it to be cold at Christmas. In Australia it's summer. That's still very weird to me. Lol

Tree??  (JK.  Or not)

When I was a young kid, we had a real tree with lots of tinsel on it.  Then, when I was a bit older, we had an artificial (green) tree, still with lots of tinsel on it.  Probably most of the same tinsel: we saved and re-used it.

It's been more than 40 years since I lived with my parents.  I have never put up my own tree.

OK I'll bite. What is an icicle? Sounds cold and probably unhealthy, something that should be confined to the more primitive parts of the world like ... north.

It's tinsel. They all talk funny...except me. 

Quote from: Cindy on December 09, 2017, 02:43:43 PM
OK I'll bite. What is an icicle? Sounds cold and probably unhealthy, something that should be confined to the more primitive parts of the world like ... north.

Thin strands of silvery Mylar about 16" or so long.  You drape them over the branches.  They reflect the lights.

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on December 09, 2017, 02:51:26 PM
It's tinsel. They all talk funny...except me. 

Tinsel!!!!

Holy Christmas Batman

I need Google translate for USA.

Quote from: Cindy on December 09, 2017, 02:55:00 PM

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on December 09, 2017, 02:51:26 PM
It's tinsel. They all talk funny...except me. 

Tinsel!!!!

Holy Christmas Batman

I need Google translate for USA.

No, you need Google translate for USA Bahstin Edition! 

Quote from: Cindy on December 09, 2017, 02:55:00 PM
Tinsel!!!!

Holy Christmas Batman

I need Google translate for USA.

Tinsel?? Icicles are tinsel? Really?  I have heard people talk about tinsel at Christmas time but I always thought tinsel was another word for garland.

Growing up my family never put the tinsel icicles on the tree, but we did have these plastic icicles that I've always loved. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Nt__eNi-tG8/WCEN1XG-PDI/AAAAAAAAGvc/97NckhtK7jM/s1923/Photo%25252020161107152615113.jpg
They look really tacky, but I love the aesthetic of tacky christmas trees if we're being completely honest!

Garland makes your tree look like it stole a Drag Queen's boa.

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on December 09, 2017, 02:51:26 PM
It's tinsel. They all talk funny...except me. 

Not all.... I call it tinsel too.

The aluminum chrome Christmas tree we had in the mid 1960s was genuine.  I think it was harvested from the Alcoa plant. 

You're going to get yourself canned.