By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
It was pummeled by high winds and two blizzards during an unusually harsh winter at the shore. Yet the 7-foot-tall Colorado blue spruce majestically – and perhaps magically – stood tall all of that time. Never once did it topple over.
Now, the holiday tree placed by the Giordano family on the beach at 44th Street as a symbol of hope and inspiration amid the grimness of the pandemic is getting ready for its “last hurrah.”
Nick and Shannon Giordano, along with help from their children, Gracelynn, 8, Giovanni, 7, and Vincenzo, 5, originally decorated the evergreen in December as a Christmas tree that they shared with the community.
However, the tree’s impact on residents and visitors in Sea Isle City lasted well after Christmas. The Giordanos later decorated it for Valentine’s Day and then St. Patrick’s Day. Now it is in its final iteration, adorned with colorful Easter decorations.
“This is the last hurrah,” Shannon Giordano said, noting that the tree will be taken down sometime after Easter.
Wanting to lift up everyone’s spirits during the pandemic’s initial outbreak two years ago, the Giordanos placed a 6-foot-tall Douglas fir at the same spot on the beach at 44th Street for Christmas 2020.
Word of the Christmas tree quickly spread through the community and on social media in 2020. Inspired by such a powerful symbol of the holidays, residents and tourists began visiting it, as if making a pilgrimage, to add to the decorations that the Giordanos had placed on it.
An array of traditional ornaments brightened the tree’s appearance, as well as some quaint beach-themed touches ranging from toy sand shovels to hand-painted seashells.
The outpouring of love and support the Giordanos received from the community in 2020 convinced them to make the holiday tree an annual tradition. Shannon Giordano said her family plans to do the same thing on the 44th Street beach for Christmas 2022.
“Everyone loves it,” she said in an interview Monday. “It’s nice to see everyone making comments about the tree and saying that they will stop by to decorate it and take pictures.”
As Sea Isle residents, the Giordanos are keenly aware of the coastal storms and blustery conditions at the shore each winter. Nick Giordano prepared the tree for winter by digging a hole in the beach and anchoring it in the sand with ropes and stakes.
This winter was even more brutal than usual because of the blizzards of Jan. 3 and Jan. 28-29 that dumped more than a foot of snow each time on Sea Isle. However, the tree remained standing the entire winter.
“It did not fall,” Shannon Giordano said, giving her husband credit for fortifying the tree against bad weather.
Although the tree remained standing, the St. Patrick’s Day decorations were swept away by the high winds, she noted.
Just like with the holiday tree during the winter of 2020-2021, the 2021-2022 evergreen attracted countless visitors who came to adorn it with decorations and use it as a backdrop for photos.
Complementing the tree’s holiday decorations are hand-painted seashells inscribed with personal messages and best wishes that seem particularly timely and poignant in the wake of Russia’s invasion of war-torn Ukraine.
“Pray for peace,” “May all find peace” and “Get along in 2022” are the messages painted on three of the shells lying in the sand at the base of the tree.
The message on another hand-painted shell looks ahead to the shore’s eagerly awaited summer tourism season.
“See you soon! Summer 2022,” it says.
For Easter, the tree is colorfully decorated with blue and yellow garland. A tiny basket of miniature Easter eggs has been placed at the base of the tree. On top is a “Happy Easter” sign featuring whimsical yellow, pink and powder blue rabbits.
While it still remains a source of inspiration and joy, the tree is unfortunately beginning to fray at the bottom and many of the once-green needles have turned brown from exposure to the elements for the last four months.
Soon, it will be taken down by the Giordanos. But in keeping with a now-beloved Sea Isle City tradition, the family is expected to place a new holiday tree in the same spot in December, just in time for Christmas.
