My family’s tradition is to go to Ayers Orchard in Cana, Virginia every Black Friday to cut down our Christmas tree using a two person saw that has been passed down for 4 generations. The saw belonged to my great-grandfather, in which after he passed he passed it down to my grandfather through his inheritance. Throughout my mothers childhood they always used the same two man saw to cut down their Christmas trees.  The saw connects to my family because of how many generations it's been passed down and how we use it once a year for a specific purpose. My family’s past with the saw contributes to showing what it means to be an American because it allows for others to see that you have the freedom to make a tradition out of anything you want, and that there doesn’t need to be a specific reasoning behind it, as my family’s tradition began with my grandfather who just thought it would be a fun thing to do and get his family to spend more time together. My story connects with the broader theme of perseverance because even though there has been better technology that has come out that makes cutting down trees easier, such as chainsaws and other machinery, my family continues to stick with the two person saw even if it may be more difficult and take longer to use in the long run compared to using a chainsaw or another piece of machinery. In conclusion, this saw will continue to be used within my family until the tool is no longer functional and will hopefully bring many more memories to come from this tradition.

– AS

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more