Many North American communities and towns celebrate the warmth and joy of the holidays by sharing a communal Christmas tree. Traditionally, a super-sized, evergreen tree is erected in a park or town square and decorated with colorful ornaments and lights. Often family, friends and neighbors gather at a special tree lighting ceremony to kick off the holiday season.
Inevitably, the heroine/hero bumps into their love interest at the tree-lighting ceremony and they instantly fall in love! Well… at least, that’s how it always seems to happen in the Hallmark Christmas movies!
Not all community Christmas trees, however, are evergreen trees. Over the last 20 years, fishing communities along the northern Atlantic coast have put their own unique spin on the tradition. They’ve been erecting tree-shaped cones and pyramids built from lobster traps. The lobster trap Christmas trees are decorated with buoys and other nautical themed ornaments, wrapped in lights and celebrated with tree-lighting ceremonies.
Last December, I had the pleasure of seeing a few of these unique Christmas trees for myself. In St. Andrews New Brunswick, a charming town dubbed St Andrews by-the-Sea, the community tree is located in downtown Market Square. Here it is during the day and the evening.
As you can see, the tree is topped with a miniature lighthouse which lights up at night.
The sides of the tree are decorated with tree branches, buoys, ropes, model boats and other nautical items.
Interestingly, the St Andrews Christmas Committee hosts a Lobster Buoy Fundraiser in conjunction with their Lobster Trap Christmas Tree. As explained on the poster pictured below, all money raised is donated to the local food bank.
In addition to contributing to a good cause, this event showcases the community’s creative talents. Check out these buoys!
My favorite would have to be this one showing a lobster grabbing Santa’s nose.
St Andrews’ Market Square sits directly in front of the town wharf which is also decked out in colorful lights and decorations.
A lobster trap Christmas tree is a great way to pay homage to a community’s seafaring heritage and livelihood. Lobster traps, also known as lobster pots, are, of course, used to catch lobster. At one time, all lobster traps were “round”―the term used to describe their distinctive hollow, half-cylinder form. They were made with a wooden frame and covered in mesh.
Nowadays, lobster traps are more likely to be rectangular making them easier to store and transport―and stack into Christmas trees!
Typically, today’s lobster traps are made with a plastic-coated metal grid like the yellow one you can see pictured below.
Naturally, there are variations. For instance, the lobster fishers in Howard’s Cove, Prince Edward Island prefer rectangular, wooden lobster traps like those shown below.
Regardless of the form and materials used, a lobster trap has “a large opening [usually] at one end which is filled with the funnel-shaped headnet” explains Finestkind: The American Lobster. “This net permits lobsters to crawl in, but not out”. There is also an “opening hatch … which permits the lobsterman to bait and empty his trap” and an escape vent which “permits small lobsters to escape from the trap while retaining those of ‘keeping’ size”. The various parts are visible in these photos.
As explained on the University of Maine Lobster Institute website “A lobsterman will put a bag full of bait (usually herring or other fish) in each trap dropped from the boat, or “set”. It is attached by a rope (trap line) to a floating buoy to mark its location. Buoys are painted with particular colors that are registered by each lobsterman, which helps identify to whom each trap belongs.”
In Pugwash, Nova Scotia, the community leans into lobster trap buoys for their annual Christmas tree.
They cover the entire structure with colorful tiers of buoys and top it with an anchor.
In nearby Toney River, Nova Scotia, the community Christmas tree is constructed of lobster traps and decorated with buoys and lights.
The first Toney River lobster trap tree was created in 2019 in memory of a young man named Nick Falconer. It has become an annual tradition and, these days, the tree is covered in memorials for loved ones who have passed away―often due to fishing-related accidents.
I’ll wrap up with one last photo of the Toney River lobster trap Christmas tree. It’s a bittersweet reminder of the joys and sorrows of a fishing community’s reliance on the sea.
More Info
Learn more about the unique community Christmas trees mentioned in this blog post:
. Lobster Trap Christmas Tree in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada. See the Christmas by-the-Sea website.
. Lobster Trap Christmas Tree in Toney River, Nova Scotia, Canada. See the Facebook page for Nova Scotia’s Northumberland Shore.
. Lobster Buoy Christmas Tree in Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada. See the Facebook page for Village of Pugwash Recreation.
. Lobster Trap Christmas Trees in Nova Scotia. See the Visit Nova Scotia Instagram account.
The following books and articles were consulted in the writing of this blog post:
. University of Maine – Lobster Institute
. N.S. Communities Light Up Christmas Trees Made of Lobster Traps CBC article published November 2024.
. Nick Falconer Remembered with Lobster Trap Tree at Toney River Wharf Saltwire article published November 2020.
. Finestkind: The American Lobster A Learning Experience for Marine Education by the University of Maine published 1979 which is available here on Internet Archives.
. Various Wikipedia entries.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Seek out local traditions and discover the stories behind them.
2. Consider incorporating regional symbols into your holiday décor.
3. Create your own unique holiday customs and traditions.
