Merry Christmas!
In downtown historical Cambridge, it has become tradition each year to erect a 20-foot tall Christmas tree to celebrate Dorchester County’s waterman culture.
This is not just an ordinary Christmas tree.
This Christmas tree is made from approximately 200 crab baskets that were used the past summer by local seafood companies, and is adorned with repurposed buoys, red ribbons, and lights.
Cambridge Crab Basket Christmas Tree – December 2018
I wanted to take a night photo to also share, but with too much going on, I put it off and have run out of time, so I’ll opt for a photo courtesy Dorchester County Office of Tourism, just to show you how pretty it is at night.
(photo courtesy of Dorchester County Office of Tourism)
Once the holiday season is over, the tree will be disassembled and the baskets will go back in storage for next summer’s use when they’ll be brimming with Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs.
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Eastern Shore Maryland-style!
That’s so cool, looks great! 👍🏻😎
A neat homage to the hard-working watermen. 😊
Merry Christmas Donna!
Warm wishes to you and yours!
Cambridge has the best ideas! Merry Christmas, Donna!
They do! Warm wishes to you and yours, Hien!
Very original and interesting. Best wishes for the holiday seasons. (Suzanne)
It doesn’t compete in exceptional beauty but is a wonderful tribute to the watermen that have labored the surrounding waters since the 1600s. 😊 Warm wishes to you and yours, Suzanne!
An amazing feat of ingenuity. Love it. 👏🏻😃
Now wouldn’t it be pretty with some of that Tahoe snow on it, Sylvia?!! 😊
Haha For sure. 🙂
Very nice Donna! And Merry Christmas!
Thank you, warm wishes to you and yours!
That’s lovely! How many years has this tradition been going on?
Merry Christmas to you and yours from the West side of the country. 😃
It was first erected in 2014 as another way to honor the watermen who have labored the local waters since the 1600s. It has become a huge success since, being duplicated in other communities around the Chesapeake Bay.
Warm wishes to you and yours from the East! 😊
Thanks for sharing a different take on a Christmas tree. I quite like it. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas!
It is pretty special around here, the big lighting early December. Definitely a different take, lol, but it does give tribute to the region’s watermen who have labored the local Chesapeake Bay waters since the 1600s.
Warm wishes to you too, Jane!
Love the picture and merry Christmas
Merry Christmas Donna!
Thank you, Jerry, warm wishes to you!
Merry Christmas.
Thank you, warm wishes to you and yours.
Happy Holidays Dona! 🙂
Thank you, HJ, warm wishes to you and yours!
I have seen another example of these crab pot trees on a west coast blog. They are a very good idea.
Pretty cool to have two purposes with the baskets. 😊
I can smell the Old Bay Seasoning already. Spread out the newspaper and grab the wooden hammer… something I haven’t done in many years. Thanks for sharing.
The oldest working crab processing plant in the world, The J. M. Clayton Company, resides here in Cambridge, still run by the same family since 1890. When you go over to that side of town in the summer, you can smell the crabs steaming in Old Bay. OMGosh, I love that smell, and love eating them even more. 🙂
Spread out on a picnic table, newspapers, and that ‘tingle’ of the rock salt with the Old Bay.
Get them by the dozen in Baltimore… now I’m hungry 🙂
What an innovative, regionally-inspired tree.
A very Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones, Donna.
Best,
Tanja 🎄
It is pretty neat, and the crab baskets have a dual purpose every year now. 🙂 We had a wonderful Christmas, I hope yours was too, Tanja.
I am glad you enjoyed your Christmas, Donna. We did, too, thank you very much.
How fun! Enjoy your holidays, Donna!
Thank you, Eliza, it’s been a blast with the three small grandboys. I hope you are enjoying your holidays too!
Yes, it has been a lovely season, thanks!
Very nice. Thank you
Sent from my iPhone
I hope your holidays were special, Leo!
What a delightful tradition!
Wishing you and your loved ones a very merry Christmas! Hard to believe this one came around so fast.
It was here and gone so quick! 🙂 We’ve had a wonderful time so far, the little grandboys make it extra-special.
I think holidays are for kids. We preferred the peace and quiet this year and we’ll save the excitement for the next trip north to see the grandkids. Good to hear you had a extra-special time of it.
A great recycled Christmas tree Donna 😊
It is pretty neat and definitely defines our Eastern Shore Maryland region and watermen. 😊
Merry Christmas
Thank you!
Merry Christmas!
Thank you!
Merry Christmas, Donna! I love the tree! Oh how having a few days off makes me think I can do anything, go anywhere…thanks for taking me to the Eastern Seaboard where I have regretfully never been, but maybe, just maybe… I can envision a crab bucket list.
Lisa, you would love the Chesapeake Bay area, especially the Eastern Shore Maryland region. I like your envisioned crab bucket list!
A perfect Chesapeake Christmas tree. Thanks for sharing it.
It certainly is for this area. 😊
What a great idea! Not only do the baskets make a great tree but they are all ‘recyclable’! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Susan, that dual purpose is pretty nifty! Cambridge started the tradition in 2014, Rock Hall has followed suit and is now also creating one each year.
Such an ingenious idea!! Hope you had an amazing Christmas. Have a Happy 2019!!
Christie
We did, thank you, Christie! I hope you have a wonderful New Year too!
Happy New Year to you and yours, Donna!
Thank you, Helen, same to you!
Really enjoyed taking a look at the Chesapeake style of living, Donna. Warmest wishes to you for a great new year of more birds and beauty.
Thank you, Jet. It is definitely a ‘different take’ on Christmas decorating. Warmest wishes to you and Athena for a Happy New Year too!