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JennGM
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Just an informal poll for our family's curiosity. Do you have a Christmas tree platform? Or some family members when growing up? Do you know what one is?
I won't explain...yet. Dh is from Altoona, PA, and we're trying to figure out if his tradition was merely a family thing, or more widespread.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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MarieC
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No platform here....anxious to hear the "backstory"!
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Marie
mom to 6
dds-98, 00, 02 and 09 & dss-03 and 06
Out in the Orchard
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hylabrook1
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I grew up in Baltimore and we, as well as many neighbors and relatives, had a Christmas platform. It was made of wood, painted green, with lots of houses (many handmade) in the village. The lights inside the houses were on a transformer with a rheastat (sp?) so they could be brightened or dimmed. A train ran around the perimeter of the village. There was a square hole to one side of the platform in which the Christmas tree was placed, with the creche under the tree. Of course, gifts were not placed under the tree.
All of the local firehouses made huge displays of Christmas platforms, with multiple trains, several villages each, moving parts, like ice skaters on ponds. Every Christmas season we went to see the firehouse Christmas garden (another name by which the platforms were known) and it was the biggest thrill of the season! We then went upstairs in the firehouse and were allowed to sit on the firetrucks and visit the dalmatian they kept as a mascot.
The best part of visiting other people at Christmas was being able to see their Christmas gardens!
My husband grew up in NJ. They did not go all out with the whole platform deal (he had never heard of it). They did place a few houses under the tree and used lights that came down below the tree to place inside each house (don't know how clear a picture that paints). The platform was wired with light sockets coming up from the floor of it to hold nightlight bulbs, and the houses had a hole in the bottom. The house was then placed over the bulb, and that's how the houses came to be lighted.
I cannot tell you how many hours I spent lying on my belly and daydreaming myself into the life of the village on that platform!
Well, I guess you brought up some memories!
Jenn - does your family have a platform? If your husband thinks it's a big part of Christmas, please have him make one and then post photos! Please, please, please!!! 
Peace,
Nancy
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MicheleQ
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We didn't have one but my grandmother always did.
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Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
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Donna Marie
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When we were growing up...dh's family too....we would have our tree in a stand on a large piece of plywood...The old lionel train would run around the perimeter of it and the presents would be stacked in the center. Once the presents were opened and cleared away, the train would run, complete with whistle and smoke pellets ...the memory makes me smile. Some people would put that fake snow on top of the plywood or have some elaborate scene...we just had the plywood...haha..nobody minded...nobody complained...us kids just really loooved that train! 
Hey Nancy! Where in NJ is dh from?
God Love you!
Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 7dc 
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God love you!
Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 9dc!!
Finding Elegant Simplicity
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lapazfarm
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Never heard of it. But it sounds neat!
Question: with all that stuff under the tree, where did the presents go?
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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kjohnson
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I've never heard of it. Now you've got me curious. 
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In Christ,
Katherine
Wife to Doug and Mother of 6
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Cay Gibson
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Never heard of it. Curious too. ???
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
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JennGM
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hylabrook1 wrote:
| Jenn - does your family have a platform? If your husband thinks it's a big part of Christmas, please have him make one and then post photos! Please, please, please!!! |
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Wow, Nancy, I love your memories. My Dad's family was from NYC, and my mom's family was New Orleans and neither side had this tradition.
My husband's family always had a platform. In fact, they had two trees and two platforms (one was used all year for his son's Lionel trains). His dad constructed them, but they were made to match his wife's family's platform (as he didn't have one on his side). Clear as mud?
My mil still uses one. It is about 4' wide x 8 feet long plywood (don't quote me on that figure). There is a hole cut out in the middle for the tree and the light cords. It is covered in the green paper for train displays, with detachable legs to make it either on the ground or about 1-2 feet high. Growing, they had real trees that the base would be below the platform with the tree through the hole. Now the platform is a bit higher, with a small artificial tree on top, with the brick corrugated paper around to disguise the bottom.
No presents on top, as the base of the tree had the tree skirt, then the village and decorations, as Nancy talks about, and the train.
Dh's aunt also had a platform, and so he just thought it was a popular thing. Now he is finding out even his brother-in-law whose family is from central PA never heard of it!
So, I'm happy to embrace the tradition. He's planning to make one for our tree, and we hope to have it this year. I'll post pictures if and when. Year by year we'll add things to go on our platform. I'm looking forward to struggling over the decision of what kind of train, shall we do a village, and if so what kind, shall we just set a manger with Jesus or a whole nativity scene or both--and what kind? Planning is so much fun!
As an aside, when I was younger, and before I met my dh, I really never thought I could embrace in-laws and their own family traditions as mine. It's wonderful how love transforms the soul (and strongly held opinions). Now I love my husband's family's traditions and am enjoying adding his recipes and traditions in our family.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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hylabrook1
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Donna Marie -
My husband grew up in Morris County. Randolph Township, which is around Dover.
Where are you?
Peace,
Nancy
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JennGM
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I posted pictures of our new platform. I still need to add the brick paper, but I'm so pleased!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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hylabrook1
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Jenn -
I love it! It looks really good! I'm sure you adults and especially your son will enjoy it greatly.
Peace,
Nancy
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JennGM
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Thanks for all your comments and compliments. I can't take any credit! I just added the pictures of the corobuff brick paper so you can see that now. The grass mat or grass paper we used is similar to this green velour. My MIL uses some kind of grass paper that is bumpy, rough and sheds, so we like this better, but there are all sorts of options. There are local hobby and train stores where we found the products. We're not huge train people, so our eyes are recently opened to the whole world of trains.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Platforms
