If you’re going to have gifts you’re going to need something to put them under. Everyone knows that.

When I was a kid we used to buy our tree at a parking lot on North Ave. near Oakland Ave., where Frenchy’s restaurant used to be (now Beans and Barley). It was a lot strung with those big colored Christmas tree lights and we always went at night and it was cool. We generally paid about $15 for a perfectly respectable tree.

Here in Christmas present, we went to a bigger lot (with a store attached) for a better deal. They also had some artificial trees (don’t get me started). One of the fake trees was a brilliant white stunner all dolled up with lights and ready to rock and roll — for a cool $1,000 plus. Ooooo-wee! No thanks.

Back home with our $39.99 Frasier fir (see above) we began the arduous task of pruning the tree. Yes, we clipped away at it — fairly agressively, I might add.

Why you may ask? Well, if you trim some of the branches, it opens the tree up, making it look A) more natural, B) allows ornaments to hang rather than lie on the tree and C) looks more like one of those trees you’d see in a Bing Crosby movie. My friend Vicki thought I was nuts to do this until she tried it. Now she’s a convert. Try it. You’ll see. Plus you put the branches in various strategic spots around the house — in vases, on window sills, tucked under a ribbon around a gift.

Trees can raise a lot of, err, debate in a household. Tinsel or no? White lights or colored (boo! white!) To flock or not (not).

In the next few days, I’ll have more on tree stories — including a tradition from my in-law’s family that is very special indeed. Tell me yours, too. Add them as comments here, or send them to me: juebelhe@jrn.com.

In the meantime, here’s a look at the festivities at the Pfister Hotel lobby, which is all decked out for the season. We would have gone but, you know, we were busy with the pruning…