Slender Illuminated Christmas Tree: A Little Joy to light up the Winter Night
Every December, the shop Windows at the street corner start to flicker with warm lights, and the air is filled with the aroma of cinnamon and pine needles. At such times, I always think of the slender Christmas tree with lights at home – it’s not as flamboyant as those huge ones in the shopping mall, but it always offers me the gentlest company on winter nights.
I still remember the first time I saw this slender Christmas tree with lights. I was immediately impressed by its delicacy. Compared with the bulky traditional Christmas tree, its slender shape is more suitable for modern people’s living Spaces. Whether living in a small urban apartment or placed in a corner of the desk, it can blend into life just right. And those small strings of light entwined around the branches seem to have draped this little tree in a coat of starlight.
I especially like to turn off all the big lights when it’s late at night and all is quiet, leaving only the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree. Those soft spots of light cast flickering shadows on the wall, as if transforming the entire room into a scene from a fairy tale. At this time, brewing a cup of hot cocoa and sitting by the tree in a daze became the most healing ritual for me in the winter.
Interestingly, this slender design actually makes the decoration more challenging. You can’t hang ornaments as casually as you do with an ordinary Christmas tree. The selection and hanging of each decoration require more care. This reminds me of the “wabi-sabi” aesthetic in Japanese tea ceremony – creating the infinite within the finite and finding richness in simplicity. Gradually, decorating this small tree became an artistic creation I looked forward to every year.
These tiny lamp beads also remind me of many things in life – what often touches people’s hearts the most is not the most magnificent ones, but those subtle beauties that shine in the ordinary. Just like a greeting from a friend late at night or a kind smile from a stranger, these seemingly insignificant moments are the strength that supports us through the cold winter.
Nowadays, my slender Christmas tree with lights has accompanied me through five winters. Every year when I open the box, the familiar scent of pine wood and the neatly coiled string of lights all evoke a sense of reassurance. It is not merely a decoration for the festival; it is more like an old friend, reminding me that no matter what I have experienced in the past year, there will always be reasons to celebrate in life.
In this era that pursues efficiency, we are too prone to overlook those small yet precious things. And this little Christmas tree taught me: Beauty doesn’t need to be grand; it can be quiet and subtle, just like these persistently glowing beads in the darkness, warming the entire winter night with their faint yet resolute light.
