It was a morning of reminiscing for five parents and their children on Thursday in Springwood.
They were taking part in the annual hanging of Christmas decorations on the big tree in Manners Park.
Natalie Cavill hung decorations 26 years ago. “I had a see-through Santa Claus and I painted it red and green,” she recalled.
Her seven-year-old daughter, Tilly, said it was “pretty exciting” to be decorating the tree just as her mum had done.
Brett Stevens was in kindergarten in the mid-80s when he created decorations for the tree. He remembers the tree branches sitting lower and the ink running on their creations when it rained.
“I don’t know if laminators were invented back then,” he joked. “They [the decorations] went pretty quickly with the weather.”
On Thursday he was sharing the experience with his sons Leighton, aged 8, and Easton, 2, and wife Ashleigh, who also took part in the annual festivity.
The event, now in its 40th year, was organised by the Springwood Neighbourhood Centre, with assistance from Fire and Rescue NSW firefighters from the Springwood station, who helped kids climb ladders to place their decorations.
The colourful creations were made by students from Springwood Public, Faulconbridge Public, Ellison Public, Winmalee Public and St Thomas Aquinas Primary.
Springwood station commander Kevin O’Reilly said the firefighters had been involved for the past five years, but he can remember the tree from when he attended Winmalee Public, and there had been multiple visits over the years as his three kids also hung Christmas decorations.