Christmas in the Appalachian Mountains

Tina Johnson
Dec 23, 2025
6 min read

Updated: Dec 31, 2025

A grapevine wreath featuring a snowman holding a sled with "Winter Greetings" written above. Photo by Tina Johnson.

What is an Appalachian Christmas? In years past, I remember how joyful Christmas was in my youth. Not so much for the monetary value of presents, but for the feeling that came with the deep, cold snows that would cover the mountains in a soft, white, peaceful, calming blanket. I remember a time in my youth when a blizzard came, and the snow stayed on for a month, with everything frozen over. It was so cold! There was a pond on the family farm, and it had completely frozen over. We would go up into the mountains to hike in the snow and skate on an old pond that had been there for many years. We would stay out all day, just enjoying the freedom of growing up in the wilds of Appalachia.

A recreation of a frozen pond from childhood memories. Created in Canva by Tina Johnsnon.

Gifts from the Forest: Decorating for the Holidays

In the mountains, gifts did not necessarily have to come from a store. Appalachia is blessed with so many people who can make amazing and beautiful crafts with their hands through just some good-ole-fashioned and down-to-earth know–how. Where did the craft supplies come from? They came from the abundance of woods all around us. For many years, the forests of Appalachia have been an abundant source of greenery for making crafts and products.

One craft I can remember well that people made was Christmas wreaths from pine trees. They used different kinds of pine tree branches. It seemed as if the white pine branches were the branches used most often. However, if the white pines were not readily available, then other evergreen trees like hemlock would be used. White pine branches are just so very pretty. They would start with a round, solid circle most often made with wire—green wire preferred—but the base could also be a grapevine. They would slowly start to weave the branches together in a circle, and they would decorate the wreath with cranberries, pine cones, holly, ivy, and other greenery produced from the forest.

I can remember very well helping make these wreaths. Just for the fun of it, I would help, and now I am so very glad I did because those elders have long since been gone, but I will always have that memory. I remember all the pine tree limbs being laid out on the floor along with the pine cones and holly tree branches and the smell. Oh, the smell of pine that gently lay upon the air, like an old friend beckoning you in. It was a glorious, organized mess. And it was fantastic, a true Appalachian memory.

A photo of the Farmer's Market in Beatyville, Kentucky, in which greenery products are visible, including a grapevine tree, a wreath on the wall. Find out more about this farmers market by following this link: Locally Made Farmers Market Beattyville/Lee County | Facebook; Locally Made Farmer’s Market | Local Connections™. Photo by Tina Johnson.

There were other materials brought in from the woods to make Christmas crafts. Grapevines, from one of many species of native grapes, were at the top of the list for making wreaths and friendship trees. So, what is a grapevine friendship tree? It is a tree—of sorts—made from grapevines. The base was usually some type of wire, preferably green, and it started round at the bottom and got smaller at the top, like a cone shape; tomato plant stands will work just fine for this. You would take the grapevine you had harvested from the woods and weave it upwards on the wire base. These are fairly easy to make and can also be decorated with lights for any season. Local farmer’s markets are usually a good place to buy or sell these handmade crafts such as this lovely grapevine friendship tree pictured above.

Seasons’ Past and Present: Reflecting on Christmas Memories and Traditions

Sometimes, when I think of grapevines, I also remember how much fun we had out in the woods swinging from grapevines in my youth. Of course, we would play on the grapevines at any time of the year; the cold did not hinder our adventures. Dad would show us the different animal tracks, especially if there was snow on the ground. The deer tracks were always the easiest to identify. This is one of my all–time favorite memories.

More of my favorites I remember from my youth was with one of my cousins at granny and grandpa’s when we spent our days exploring the woods. We would hike in the woods and look for young trees or grapevines to swing on. Well, on this particular hike, we located a fine grapevine. We would go up the bank above the vine and start running full speed and grab hold of the vine and swing way out on it. I said I was going to go first. So, I took off running down the hill and grabbed onto that grapevine and swung way out—just one problem. The vine wasn’t attached to the tree as solidly as we thought it was, and ‌I sailed through the air at top speed while still holding on to that vine. We, the grapevine and I, landed in a heap about halfway down the hill. Of course, my cousin laughed so hard all while I was laying there trying to catch the breath that my sudden collision with the ground had just caused me to lose. But I was fine, and then I started laughing too, and it was a grand story we looked back on and told stories about for years, still telling that story today.

Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) with a light coating of snow on its leaves. Photo by Tina Johnson. — An Eastern red cedar (*Juniperus virginiana*) with a light coating of snow on its leaves. Photo by Tina Johnson.

In the hills of Appalachia, almost no one ever used artificial trees. I cannot remember ever seeing an artificial tree in people’s homes all during my years growing up. Everyone generally just went into the woods to chop down their own tree, and this was always a favorite time of the season. My dad and us kids would go out onto the family farm and search for the perfect tree to bring home for Christmas. We would generally cut down Eastern red cedar because they had a very pretty full shape to them. Sometimes it would be an all–day or at least half–day event. We would chop down the tree and drag it home to be decorated. Eastern red cedars are often one of the first trees to colonize old fields and pastures that are returning to forest; you can also find them along fence lines and forest edges. Traditionally, they were used for fence posts and quilt chests due to being rot and insect resistant. We weren’t just locating a tree—we were making memories to last forever.

So, you see, Christmas in the mountains is not just a holiday; it is the joyous time of the year when family and friends all gather together and tell stories of youth and times past. It is a season of tradition and sometimes, if we are really lucky, a blanket of white snow that has settled on the mountains for Christmas day. It is just fun and nostalgic to remember.

During this Christmas season, just take time out to slow down and remember all the fun days of your youth. Take time to remember mom’s cooking and granny’s joyous laugh and the twinkle in her eyes when everyone gathered in to see her. Go for a walk in the woods and just reconnect with nature. Or maybe go out into the woods and gather some pine tree branches, holly branches, pine cones, and grapevines and make a friendship tree or Christmas wreath and give it to someone special. It does not have to be perfect because the main ingredient will be love. Make memories that will last a lifetime, hold your family a little closer, and make this a Christmas to remember for all the reasons money can’t buy.