A family have shared their hilarious holiday tradition – choosing the “ugliest” Christmas tree they can find every year.
Mistry Ashbrook, 45, and her husband, Samuel, 43, a product sales specialist, started the unusual tradition in 2007.
Both fresh out of the military, with no kids and their families far away, they weren’t feeling particularly festive, so they went in search of a Christmas tree to get into the spirit.
They came across their first “ugly” tree – a crooked, sad-looking sapling – and decided to take it home.
They then vowed to start an annual tradition of finding the least aesthetically pleasing tree each year.
Their idea became so popular among their family and friends that even Samuel’s aunt and uncle joined.
Couples now compete for the ugliest — trying to outdo each other with sturdy and non-sturdy trees every holiday season.
“We spent a lot of time looking for the perfect tree and I just said, ‘Why don’t we get an ugly tree?'” said Misty, a 911 dispatcher from Bremerton, Washington.
“I was getting very cold and tired,” she continued about their search. “We were on a farm and we found a tree that was a bit crooked and sad, so we cut it down – and that’s how it started.”
From that day on, they decided every year they would look for trees that were just as “weak”.
Over the years the tradition grew.
“Our families started asking for photos,” she said.
“Every year they’d say, ‘Oh, I can’t wait for you to find the ugly Christmas tree,’ and we’d send pictures.”
Samuel’s aunt and uncle – who lived an hour away – joined in, turning it into a family competition.
“They started a contest with us about who could find the ugliest tree and that’s how it started,” Misty said.
Misty’s mother, Roxanne Lonctom, 68, a retired nurse who lives with her, also enjoys the ugly Christmas tree tradition.
But it wasn’t until recently, when Misty posted a video of their latest ugly tree on TikTok, that the tradition really exploded in popularity.
“The video has received almost 400,000 views now. It was crazy,” she said.
“Most people say, ‘Oh, I’m so glad you gave love to the ugly tree.’ Even ugly trees need love.’ “
Many also compared their tree to iconic holiday specials and TV shows.
“Some people say, ‘It looks like the Charlie Brown tree.’ Some people say, ‘Phoebe Buffay from Friends would be so happy.'”
Despite the comparisons, Misty is happy to see people embrace the idea.
“Most people just say, ‘Oh, I like that,'” she said.
#Family #embraces #hilarious #Christmas #tradition #decades #Ugly #trees #love
Image Source : nypost.com