# my roomie made a Zen Solstice tree

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-roomie-made-a-zen-solstice-tree/143991>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 20, 2002, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-roomie-made-a-zen-solstice-tree/143991 "2002-12-20T07:44:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-roomie-made-a-zen-solstice-tree/143991/1 "2002-12-20T07:44:53Z")

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I came home from work today to find that he’d made a Yule tree by twisting multicolored lights (the kind that glow and dim in various patterns you can control), silver and white garland, and a network cable (for stiffness) together, and hanging it so that, with the help of some almost invisible string, it hangs in an open conical spiral shape. Its also got small multicolored balls and real candycanes on it.

He explained that it was illogical to celebrate a holiday about the return of light and life by killing a tree.

I’ve always had real trees, and and enjoyed them greatly. I would never have agreed`to the usual sort of artificial one.  
This is different though - it’s not a fake tree, it’s an abstract sculpture of a tree.

He calls it a zen tree.

It’s sorta cool.  
“And those who look to the stars in the heavens  
Turning their backs to the fields and the groves  
Still live in the love of the Lord and the Lady  
The wider the circle the more the love grows”

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**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-roomie-made-a-zen-solstice-tree/143991/2 "2002-12-20T15:38:11Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Kalashnikov \*  
> \*\*He explained that it was illogical to celebrate a holiday about the return of light and life by killing a tree. \*\*

Nah, it would be more logical to cut off someone’s head, decorate it with lights and candy canes and then place a tape recorder inside it so it **appears** to still be alive. Hm. Better yet, motorize it and string it from wires so it’ll rise up at random intervals and fly about the room, shrieking and cursing.

At least, that’s how Christmas is like where **I’m** from…

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**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-roomie-made-a-zen-solstice-tree/143991/3 "2002-12-20T19:04:34Z")

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Tell you friend that there are little Xmas trees in soil that can be planted in the ground later. No killing of the trees.

From what you described, the zen tree does sound cool. 🆒

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**Author:** ![lothos2002](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/df788c/32.png) [@lothos2002](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lothos2002)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-roomie-made-a-zen-solstice-tree/143991/4 "2002-12-20T19:30:02Z")

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I like your friend’s idea a lot! Please convey my appreciation for his creation. I hope you enjoy the holidays.