It’s all about the tallest tree

‘Oh Tan- nenbaum, oh Tannenbaum ... “ Come on, everybody! “Oh

Tannenbaum, oh Tannenbaum, we wish we knew ... the second line.”

Don’t worry. Nobody does.

Anyway, it’s an old German Christmas carol that old Germans would

sing at Christmastime. “Tannenbaum” is German for “suntan lotion.”

No, it isn’t. I made that up. It’s German for “Christmas tree.” And

it could be the official Christmas carol of 2002, which has become

the year of the Tall Tree Wars.

Cities and retail centers are vying for the “Tallest Christmas

Tree in the USA” title. The tallest, as it turns out, is the quite

beauteous tree in our very own Fashion Island. Yea! We won! Are you

excited? I knew you would be.

According to the Los Angeles Times, when dogs dream, these are the

trees they dream about: Fashion Island (112 feet), Miami (110 feet,

in a downtown park) and Los Angeles (100 feet, at The Grove, a new

retail center at Farmer’s Market. The tree at Fashion Island tree has

held the title, rightfully, for a number of years.

The Christmas party got a little rough this year, though, when

Kansas City bestowed the title of tallest tree upon itself for a big,

big tree in its Crown Center mall. The city of Miami had a major

shmoo, and immediately declared its 100-foot log the tallest in all

the land. But the tree wars escalated quickly when a newspaper called

The New York Times ran a front-page story confirming Miami’s tree as

the tallest of the tall timber.

Within days, if not hours, the dignified and stately New York

Times heard from many highly agitated people in a faraway place

called Orange County. It was quickly confirmed that the Fashion

Island tree, at 112 feet, was the tallest of the tall -- no ifs, ands

or boughs about it. Unable to rebut the tale of the tape, Miami

retracted its claim.

Do you want to know how the big-deal Christmas trees around the

country really rank? You might as well say yes, because you know I’m

going to tell you anyway. If we’re talking about “America’s Tree,”

you’ll find it at Fifth Avenue and 50th Street in a place called

Rockefeller Center in the City of New York. Yes, I’m from there, yes

I’m prejudiced, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

The first Rockefeller Center tree went up in 1931, while the

Center was still being built at a time when the Great Depression was

at its most depressing. With so many Americans standing in soup

lines, the Rockefeller Center workers were deeply grateful for their

jobs and wanted to do something in return. The first tree was brought

in, put up and decorated by them, on their own time.

On that Christmas Eve, 1931, they received their paychecks beneath

the tree, which they said was a reminder that America would be back

on its feet someday. Every Christmas since then, 70 to be exact, the

Rockefeller Center tree has towered above the gilded statue of

Prometheus beneath it.

During World War II, because the blackout wouldn’t allow outdoor

lights, three trees went up instead of one and we’re decorated with

red, white and blue bows. Every night, carolers from the USO and

servicemen and women visiting New York would gather beneath the trees

and sing Christmas carols, always finishing with “God Bless America.”

If you’re looking for “Most Breathtaking Performance by a Tree in

an Outdoor Setting,” Fashion Island is the deal that is real. Yes,

it’s the tallest in the land, but I think its shape is even more

stunning, as in, perfect. Year after year, you stand there, head

tilted back and wonder if the thing is real or not. Your heart says

it is, but your mind says it isn’t. Your heart is right.

In the “Christmas Tree as Art” category, well, do I really need to

tell you? The “Great Fantasy Tree” at South Plaza West (formerly

Crystal Court if you’ve been napping) is unreal, figuratively and

literally. No, it isn’t real, and it’s not 150-feet tall, but it is a

work of Christmas art that mesmerizes everyone who draws near, year

after year. No matter how many times you’ve seen it and how many

hours you gaze at it, it always whispers something new to you.

There you have it. If others want to prattle on about who has the

tallest tree, let them. It isn’t the number of feet in a Christmas

tree that matters. It’s the number of memories. Oh, and Miami --

we’ll do the trees, you do the flamingos, OK? It’s better that way. I

gotta go.

* PETER BUFFA is a former Costa Mesa mayor.He may be reached via

e-mail at PtrB4@aol.com.