Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
The holiday season is upon us. We must remember that our environment will thank us whenever we do something green, like recycling. Let us talk about the Christmas tree. I did some research, and there are quite a lot of stories on how the Christmas tree came about. According to the History Channel and some online sites, the history of Christmas trees represents the use of evergreens in ancient Egypt and Rome. It continues with the German tradition of candlelit Christmas trees first brought to America in the 1800s.
Plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Like we decorate our homes during Christmas, ancient people hung evergreen branches over their doors and windows. In many countries, it was believed that evergreens would bring good luck and keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.
Some people believe the idea for Christmas trees was invented by St. Boniface. There are different legends regarding how St. Boniface created the Christmas tree. In some traditions, he is considered the pioneer of the Christmas Tree. Some claim he used the fir tree’s triangle shape to teach the doctrine of the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to pagans who already used trees in 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, in the Cathedral of Strasbourg, church records state that a Christmas tree was used for the Christmas celebration. In 1570, chronicles from a Bremen guild record show that a fir tree was decorated with fruits and nuts that children ate on Christmas Day.
In the 1700s, the Christmas tree custom spread throughout Germany. 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.
If you celebrate this Christmas with a live Christmas tree, please remember to recycle it at the KLB event, Bring One For The Chipper, to be mulched! You should remove all decorations from your tree before dropping it off for recycling. Help make sure that your live tree does not become yard waste. Until January 6, 2024, we will have various locations around the county for you to turn in your tree for recycling. Residents in Hinesville can also have their undecorated trees picked up at the curb. All trees dropped off must be undecorated and free of binding! Georgia Power graciously provides the equipment and manpower to mulch all the trees for our county!
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 until January 5, 2024. These locations are:
• 25 South Dairy Road (Highway 196W, Gum-Branch)
• 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 Fort Morris Road (East End near Sunbury)
• 129 Sandy Run (off Highway 84)
• 941 E G Miles Parkway (Highway 196W at Training Center)
• Walthourville Public Works site
• 4000 Coastal Hwy (Highway 17 in Riceboro)
• Fort Stewart
• Liberty County Health Department 1113 East Oglethorpe Hwy Our Chipper Mulch site is at the Hinesville Recycling Transfer Station, on the corner of W Oglethorpe and Fraser Drive. It is across from McDonald’s and Jet gas station. We will have our annual chipping day from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2024. Mulch Day is fun for everyone, so please drop by and bring your tree and any clothing or shoes you want to recycle. All residents who drop by on January 6, 2024, can pick up tree seedlings, as well as vegetable and flower seeds, while our supply lasts.
For more information on Christmas Tree Recycling or the Shoe and Clothes Drive, contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 880-4888 or email klcb@libertycountyga. com.