A Jewish woman has been left baffled after learning the meaning behind trimming the Christmas tree the “hard way”.
Molly Tolsky made the embarrassing admission on Twitter, urging others not to fall into the same embarrassing trap and she isn’t alone.
The writer and editor, who is of Jewish faith, says that she has always taken the saying literally.
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She thought people were taking garden sheers to their trees and giving them a haircut each year.
However, the true meaning is very different â no scissors are involved.
(Image: Getty Images)
Posting to Twitter earlier this week, Molly Tolsky said: “PSA (public service announcement) to my Jews who didn’t grow up celebrating Christmas: Trimming the tree does not mean giving the Christmas tree a little haircut please learn from my mistake.
The expression “trim the tree” in the context of Christmas means “decorate the tree much like your Christmas dinner, your tree isn’t complete without all the trimmings.
But it turns out Molly was not alone in her confusion with nearly 17,000 people liking the tweet and more responding asking “what does it mean then?”
One said: “I’m from an interfaith household and even I thought that was what it meant.”
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
“Wait â what now?”, another added.
A third commented: “Only learned this a few years ago and still find it confusing.”
But another person pointed out that at one point when more people used real trees over artificial ones, it likely did refer to small trimmings.
They said: “I’m pretty sure the term came about because when you buy a real tree you *do* trim it, and *then* you decorate it, so the decorations become called “trimmings.”
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Martha Stewart advises *literal* trimming of the tree. It’s just that many people buy fake trees.
Molly later shared a link to other confusing Christmastime sayings and traditions that have left her puzzled.
The list includes “deck the halls”.
She writes: “Deck-orate the halls and also the non-halls (i.e. rooms) for Christmas, especially if company is coming over.
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“This is the Jewish version of trying to hide all your embarrassing tchotchkes because company is coming over, except it’s the exact opposite.”
Other additions included: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year: This is a lie.
“The most wonderful time of the year is actually the day after Easter when all the Cadbury Creme Eggs go on sale.
And “Tinsel: Oooh sparkly.”
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