Even though it’s the beginning of November, large numbers of Christmas tree sellers are seeing trees fly off their premises
Translated by Thomas Ansell
Due to the Coronavirus and the various partial lockdowns, more Dutch residents are looking to buy a Christmas tree compared to last year: “this year is really something else when you look at the energy for buying Christmas trees”, says Tineke Elzinga, of Elzinga Kerstbomen in Garyp (Gemeente Tytsjerksteradiel). As reported by the Omrop Fryslân.
Elzinga’s Christmas tree centre has been open for three years, and whilst it has seen more and more trees sold each year this year is something slightly different, says the owner. The demand is enormous even despite various regulations limiting the number of people that can buy at once: if you want to pick up a tree at Elzinga’s, you must first reserve. “Last Saturday we had our first open day and it was really successful! People have built up loads of enthusiasm”, says Elzinga.
During the open day, she saw no problems with social distancing: “we’ve got lots of room here for people, and it makes it easier to keep up a one and a half metre distance from others”, Elzinga says. She adds that the various lockdowns and stay-at-home orders have increased demand even further: “people are looking for a feeling of homeliness”. Demand is so high that anyone wanting to buy a tree from Elzinga’s must wait until November 28 for a pick-up slot.
On Monday the giant Praxis garden centre in Leeuwarden unloaded its first shipment of Christmas trees (brough in from Germany). “We have about 80 now, and we’ll end up with around 5000”, says Chris van der Zwaag, of Praxis. Van der Zwaag and his colleagues have been working on preparing the store for the incoming trees for two weeks- and last week various people called each day asking for trees. “People want gezelligheid”, he says, noting that trees are selling earlier this year.
Image via Flickr user Wonderlane. License here.
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