Easter Trees - A new tradition?

Putting the Germanic and Eastern European traditions of Easter Trees (psyanksi) to one side, I have to be honest and say that the trend towards these things (which is apparently coming from North America - Gee Thanks!) leaves me more than a little cold. It seems that not being content with the commercial hijacking of Christmas, we are now looking to add to the eggs, cards and ramped up Sunday lunch prices yet another bit of trite merchandising.

I rather like the traditions from the original countries where Bible passages, eggs, symbols and other Lentern and Easter symbols were used to communicate the journey to Calvary. A rather nice way of making the season of lent less static, especially for the children, rather like the journeying of the Magi as we move to Epiphany.

The problem is that it won't be about Jesus, the road to the cross, Bible passages or the like, it is (it appears reading around) all about craft and 'homemaking' and twee nicely decorated trees. It has nothing to do with 'rescuing Easter' (as one Christian site had it) and everything about getting you to spend more at the craft shops, arty farty furnishing stores and undoubtedly the 'cheap and nasty' stores too.

You can have small and pretty

You can have twiggy and attractive

You can make stuff with the kids (a redeeming factor perhaps?)

And one site I read yesterday had a file with some smashing songs you can sing around the tree (God help us all - once again it's the Christians who bring me to total despair!)

The idea is that you place the tree, twigs or metal monstrosity from which are hung eggs, chicks, racing cars whatever else you fancy and you encircle it singing a song. Here's one for you to use at home (I'll admit it, I have 'helped' with the verses, they only had two!):

Here we go round the Easter Tree,
The Easter, Tree,
The Easter Tree.
Here we go round the Easter Tree,
On an Easter Sunday Morning.

This is the day that Jesus was raised,
Jesus was raised,
Jesus was raised.
This is the day that Jesus was raised,
On an Easter Sunday morning.

Pilate's the man who washed his hands,
Washed his hands,
Washed his hands.
Pilate's the man who washed his hands,
And Sent Jesus off to die.

The Jews all said, "We'll take the blame,
We'll take the blame,
We'll take the blame."
The Jews all said, "We'll take the blame,
Go and crucify Him."

Judas said, "This is the man,
This is the man,
This is the man."
Judas said, This is the man,
Take him off to the Temple."

Jesus said, "No great love than this,
Love than this,
Love than this."
Jesus said, "No greater love than this,
Is that I lay down my life for you."

Here we go round the Easter Tree,
The Easter, Tree,
The Easter Tree.
Here we go round the Easter Tree,
On an Easter Sunday Morning.

And the problem is, many will have the trees and not realise anything of the words of my little song.

Hosanna to the Son of David