Dr. Karen Bell, Keep Liberty Beautiful.
Christmas is an excellent time of the year for family and friends to have the opportunity to come together and share their love for one another. Having a Christmas tree in your home is such a great way to celebrate the holidays.
Do you ever consider how a tree became an integral part of celebrating our holidays? Although it’s unlikely that the Christmas tree as we know it today was first used in the 7th Century, some people believe the idea for the tree was invented by St. Boniface at that time.
There are different legends regarding how St. Boniface created the Christmas tree. Some claim he used the triangle shape of the fir tree to symbolize the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to pagans that already used trees as part of their rituals. References to the use of trees in Christmas ceremonies are also mentioned in the mid-1500s in pre-Germany. Records indicate that a pine tree was decorated and used in a Christmas celebration in 1521. In 1539, church records state that a Christmas tree was used for the Christmas celebration in the Cathedral of Strasbourg. In the 1700s, the Christmas tree custom had spread throughout Germany, and people began decorating the trees with candles lit on Christmas Eve. As the Christmas tree custom spread through Germany, the Roman Catholic Church eventually recognized it in the early 1800s. The Christmas tree was introduced in America by German immigrants in the mid-1700s.
As you celebrate the holiday season, remember you can be green and still enjoy the reason for the season. It can also be fun! Remember, Christmas is NOT over until your real Christmas tree is mulched! If your family takes down your live tree the day after Christmas or after New Year’s Day, after removing the decorations from your tree, please drop off your tree for recycling. Help make sure that your live tree does not become wasted yard waste. Between Dec. 26 and Jan. 8, we will have a variety of locations around the county to drop off the trees for recycling. Citizens in Hinesville can also have their undecorated trees picked up at the curb. All trees dropped off must be undecorated and free of any binding!
As pretty and convenient as artificial trees and wreaths are, we cannot mulch them! Georgia Power Company graciously provides the equipment and manpower to mulch all the trees for our county. Decorations do not make good mulch, and plastic trees can cause issues with the chipper, so remember to undecorate those trees for mulching.
You can deposit your tree in the designated locations at any Liberty County Solid Waste Convenience Center or Recycling Drop-off Center during regular operating hours between Dec. 26 and Jan. 8. These locations are:
• 25 South Dairy Road (SR 196W, GumBranch)
• 156 Pate Rogers Road (Fleming)
• 836 Limerick Road (near Lake George)
• 64 Left Field Road (Highway 84, Miller Park)
• 619 J V Road (west of Hinesville)
• 50 Isle of Wight Road (Midway area)
• 344 Ft. Morris Road (East End near Sunbury)
• 129 Sandy Run (off Higway 84)
• 941 E G Miles Parkway (SR 196W at Training Center)
• Walthourville Public Works site
• 4000 Coastal Highway (Highway 17 in Riceboro) • Ft. Stewart
• Hinesville Recycling Transfer Station on East Oglethorpe Higway (Highway 84) and Fraser Drive, across from McDonald’s Our annual Bring One for the Chipper will be at the Hinesville Recycling Transfer Station, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2022. The Mulch Day is a fun day for everyone, so please drop by and bring your tree. Everyone who drops by on Jan. 8 can pick up tree seedlings and vegetable and flower seeds while our supplies last.
So, join KLB in making the most of your Christmas holiday season by recycling your Christmas tree after the holidays! This is just one more way to give a precious gift to the earth. For more information on Christmas tree recycling and more, contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 880-4888 or klcb@libertycountyga.com, or check out www.keepliberty beautiful.org.