More than just lights, Trees of Life ceremony honors those gone this holiday season
Michael Logerwell
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The temperatures outside might not remind you of Christmas, but the lights already put up in the downtown area will. But the lights up in trees around the Pioneers Museum serve as more than a means to dazzle those driving by on Tejon Street.
This weekend, families who have lost loved ones gathered for the Trees of Life ceremony outside the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum.
It’s a tradition that’s been lighting up the city with memories of those gone, but not forgotten, for 41 years.
“Holidays can be really tough for people, especially when they’re grieving the loss of someone in their life, and so realizing that they’re not alone, bringing them out together so people don’t feel isolated, I think it’s really important for people to know that they’re not alone,” said Dawn Darvalics with Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care.
At the event on Saturday, the names of loved ones lost were read aloud before the lighting of the trees. Pikes Peak Hospice, the host of the event, says the lights represent the memory of those who have touched our lives and are no longer with us.
People can participate by purchasing a light or ornament in the name of a loved one. There are also special red, white, and blue trees to pay tribute to our military and first responders who’ve passed away.