Pandemic Tree, Bottle Tree, Bird Tree, Bridal Tree…

Trees displayed at this year’s Trees of Christmas at Merrehope are as varied as the artists and groups from neighboring communities joining in efforts to present the annual Meridian holiday tradition.

Centered around the theme “Making Merre with Our Neighbors,” the 52nd annual Christmas tree exhibit at two of Meridian’s historic tourist attractions, Merrehope and the F.W. Williams home, will kick off Sunday, Nov. 22, and will continue through the rest of the year.

“Because of the pandemic this year and because we’ve had several people reach out and express interest in Trees of Christmas and wanting to be involved, we decided to reach out to the whole community, not just Meridian, but surrounding towns and invite them to participate,” said Betty Lou Jones, one of the organizers of the event and president of the Meridian Restoration Foundation.

Organizers hope to have more than two dozen trees, beautifully decorated, along with other holiday displays featured in this year’s Trees of Christmas exhibit. The trees will be trimmed by local and neighboring decorators, artists, volunteers from community and religious organizations, business representatives and families.

Offering other communities the chance to tell their own stories through their holiday displays will add a new aspect to Trees of Christmas, which has traditionally looked at the holiday tour from Meridian’s perspective, Jones said.

“I think combining the different towns and talking about our neighbors will be an extremely valuable educational tool,” she noted.

Participants for the 2020 Trees of Christmas Tour include: Jasper County Stained Glass Class; Fortnightly Club; Naval Air Station Meridian; Forget-Me-Not Garden Club; The Quilting Bee; Culinary Christmas Delight; Rose Hill Cemetery Association; Over the Moon Children’s Boutique; Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood; Al’s Garden and Gifts; Hope Village Thrift Shop; Meridian Museum of Art; World of Flowers; MCC Bookstore; MCC  Honors College; Forget Me Not Garden Club; Pandemic Tree; Clarke County Chamber of Commerce with Clarkco State Park and Archusa Lake; M and M Florist; St. Mary’s Episcopal Church; Fantasy Cottage; Enterprise Elementary Art Class; Clarke County Tribune; Debs Social Club; Healthy Happy Rescue; Victorian Tree; Merrehope Tree; Bird Tree; Bottle Tree; East Mississippi Regional Libraries; Friends of The Chickasawhay … plus many more.

Trees of Christmas at Merrehope will launch with the premiere tour from 1-6 p.m. on Nov. 22. Live music and holiday refreshments will be available. Admission is $20 per person.

“This year we have decided instead of hosting a nice reception, we are going to have an open house and we are calling it our Premiere Tour,” Jones said. “We will serve Christmas goodies and refreshments and we will have live music.”

A come-and-go event, organizers will follow any COVID-19 regulations that may still be in effect at the time of the open house. Attendees will be spread out through both houses, and tables and chairs will be set up on outside porches for visitors to enjoy the refreshments and listen to the music.

Attendees are encouraged to wear face masks and will be asked to social distance. Hand sanitizer will be available. Temperatures will be checked if it is still a requirement.

“We will be adhering to any regulations that the city or the county have in place,” Jones said. “We encourage everyone to wear masks, but we will be prepared with masks if they do not have one.”

Beginning Monday, Nov. 23, and running through Wednesday, Dec. 30, the traditional holiday tours will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1-6 p.m. on Sundays. The homes will be closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students. Children under 4 are free. Tickets for senior citizens, active military personnel and groups of 10 or more people are $9 each. Groups can call and make reservations for tours.

Jones said organizers hope Santa Claus, himself will make at least one visit to Merrehope during this year’s Christmas exhibit though she has yet to receive confirmation.

Trees of Christmas at Merrehope is the Meridian Restoration Foundation’s largest fundraiser each year. The foundation, formed in the late 1960s by members of the nine Federated Women’s Clubs of Meridian, owns and operates both Merrehope and the Williams home.

With schools canceling field trips this year, Jones is encouraging community residents, church groups and youth groups to visit Trees of Christmas and support local preservation efforts.

“This is the largest fundraiser that we do, and this fundraiser keeps us going,” Jones said. “We have a lot of electricity bills and heating bills and upkeep and that is what Trees of Christmas is designed to do – to help us raise money.”

Trees of Christmas at Merrehope started in 1968 with a week-long display of decorated trees.

“The first year the Merrehope house was just beginning to be remodeled and restored. There were only about six trees on exhibit the first year,” Jones said. “They were all on the first floor of Merrehope and they were decorated by the clubs.”

No lights were used on the trees originally because of the fire hazard. Lights were added after organizers shifted away from live trees as the length of the tour extended to take in the month of December and then backed up its starting date to the week before Thanksgiving as families wanted to share the experience with their out-of-town holiday guests.

“It is really a wonderful family event for children to see the beautiful Christmas trees and to see the beautiful table that is decorated for Christmas dinner with the china and crystal and decorations,” Jones said. ”They get to hear stories about Christmas. It really is a fun event.”

Jones said some trees are still available for decorating for Trees of Christmas. Anyone interested can contact her at (601) 917-4344 to reserve a tree.

“The trees have to be up and decorated by Nov. 20,” Jones noted.

Merrehope and the F.W. Williams Home are located at 905 Martin Luther King Drive in Meridian. For more information on the holiday tours, contact Merrehope at (601) 483-8439.

“Because of the pandemic this year and because we’ve had several people reach out and express interest in Trees of Christmas and wanting to be involved, we decided to reach out to the whole community, not just Meridian, but surrounding towns and invite them to participate.” Betty Lou Jones, Meridian Restoration Foundation president