Back in the day, our Christmas trees in Binangonan were real douglas fir pine cut from the old pine trees in the mountains of Mahabang Parang bordering Cardona Rizal. That was 40 – 50 years ago when global warming was not yet in existence. Those were the days when Rizalenos started wearing sweaters, alampay, panwelos, chaleco, beginning in the month of October up to the remaining cold days in the first week of March.
No pollution yet too that’s why one could still smell the scent of pine coming from the Christmas tree in the living room.
It’s been almost 9 years since we had a freshly cut, real Christmas tree. That was actually in my daughter’s apartment in NYC. She and her friend Joe, carried that big tree up one flight. Oyen named the tree Fred. I spent the holidays with her and I was tasked to water “Fred” everyday. Dried lives fall several times a day and makalat talaga. The fouton bed in the small living room where I slept was right beside the tree. I could smell the scent of pine. Mabango.
