Tree Dressing Day

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 1-2 December 2018 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 colours!

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.