Fire Safety During the Holidays

When you step outside of our lives as humans and take a look at our customs, they are sometimes strange, aren’t they?  During the winter, we sometimes trek far into the woods, chop down a tree, bring it inside our homes, decorate it with ribbons and shiny balls and lights, and then throw it outside after a few weeks for the trash.  How funny does that sound when you look at it differently?

No matter what your winter time traditions and customs, it is important to always enjoy them safely.  If you are one of the humans who decorate a tree in the house, it is very important to remember fire safety.  Here are some tips:

• If using a real tree, keep it watered every day.  Check the bowl or bucket you placed it in to make sure it doesn’t dry out.  Some people add a crushed aspirin or a shot of bleach to the water which is supposed to help with absorption. Just be sure you keep curious children or pets away if you use those techniques.
• When placing your tree, keep it far away from the fireplace.  Also keep it away from candles, ovens, drafty areas or vents that could accelerate drying.  A Christmas tree can go up in flames very easily when it is dried out.  Check out the video on YouTube showing just how quickly an entire room can become engulfed.
• Check for flammability of decorations.  Turn off the lights whenever you leave the house or go to bed.  Never leave your decorated home unattended.

Now that you have your tree all decorated and have a minute, can we talk about some of the other strange customs we follow?  How about the one about the stranger who climbs down chimneys eating cookies and leaving presents for good little boys and girls…?

What are some of your holiday traditions and customs?

*