Christmas

Douglas, Fraser, and Noble fir trees are usually the ones people cut for Christmas trees every year. But tree farms are growing smaller because of disease and pests that usually get killed off in colder weather.

You might remember from last year’s Open Spaces holiday show, we featured a story on a very “Wyoming” kind of Christmas tree hunt: a sagebrush. On the hunt was longtime Sublette County outfitter and mountain man Bill Webb. He’s back this year but on the hunt for another unique holiday tree.

For a lot of people, the holidays mean getting a Christmas tree, and usually, that means some type of big, bushy green tree – like a Douglas fir, blue spruce or even a fake tree. But, Wyoming Public Radio’s Caitlin Tan tagged along with one Sublette County local who went on a hunt for an unexpected type of Christmas tree.

Most people in the United States — Christian or otherwise — recognize December 25 as Christmas Day. For some, the day remembers the birth of Jesus Christ, for others it’s a celebration of family, an excuse to give gifts and party during the darkest part of the year. And for many, it’s all of the above. But for Patrick Ivers, a retired math teacher from Laramie, December 25 is a day to remember the discovery of calculus. Wyoming Public Radio’s Jeff Victor asked Ivers about his unorthodox holiday tradition.

Jackson resident Connie Owen answered Wyoming Public Radio’s open call for holiday stories with a tale of Christmas past. Owen’s mother Ruth Hartzell Trout, who was born in 1923 and passed away in 2022, wrote this story on an old recipe card years ago.

Stewart Shipman and his family live in Laramie. And they have a pretty unique tradition that has lasted over 70 years. He told Wyoming Public Radio the story.

For many residents, the holidays hold a special place in their lives. And from Gillette to Cheyenne, towns play a big role in how people from around the Cowboy state celebrate.

Christmas is less than a week away, and if you don’t have a tree yet, permits are available through Dec. 25 to harvest one on public lands.

As people start to take down their holiday decorations, some community leaders and advocates are pushing for recycling those materials.

As the holidays begin, the war in Ukraine drags on. Russia’s invasion has altered Christmas traditions, while the winter weather makes it more difficult to deliver medical supplies.