Lobster trap tree tradition takes hold in South Shore coastal communities

Over the past two decades, a holiday tradition has emerged in coastal New England, one befitting the area’s Yankee resourcefulness and penchant for celebration: the lobster trap Christmas tree.

It’s a simple, colorful, festive way to celebrate the season, and it highlights one of the area’s most prized industries. Lobster traps, also known as pots, are stacked in a pyramid, tree-like shape, secured together and strung with lights. Buoys serve as ornaments.

In Massachusetts, December is typically the beginning of lobstermen’s offseason, and many of them store their pots in their yards. Why not turn them into something festive?

Here are some Massachusetts lobster trap Christmas trees to check out this holiday season.

Marshfield,100 Central St.

On the South Shore, the Marshfield Commercial Fishermen’s Association has been building a tree out of lobster pots outside the harbormaster’s office since 2014. Harbormaster Mike Dimeo said he’d seen similar displays in other communities and wanted to join in on the fun.

The Marshfield tree creates new memories each year, serving as a picturesque backdrop for photos with Santa Claus after he arrives by boat, but it honors the past as well. Buoys from lobstermen who have died are placed around the star at the top of the tree.

Plymouth, Town Wharf

In Plymouth, the tree tradition has taken on a sentimental mission. Last year’s tree was dedicated to Michael Furlong, a lobster fisherman who had recently died after an accident on the water.

“He was one of a kind, definitely a character and friend. One of those old-timers they’re never going to replace,” organizer Dan Holmes said of Furlong. “They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.”

The tree is typically about 20 feet tall, and it takes a group of volunteers a couple of hours to assemble it.

Last year, students at Nathaniel Morton Elementary School created ornaments to display on their lobster trap tree outside the school and donated by lobster fisherman Tom O’Reilly. His wife, Karen, works at the school as a paraeducator.

Cohasset, 44 Border St.

Cohasset is entering its 10th year of constructing its tree outside the Olde Salt House restaurant. Anyone can buy a buoy to decorate at the Cohasset American Legion and have their artwork hung on the trap tree. Proceeds benefit the Veterans Food Pantry.

The idea was conceived by John Covell, who organized the annual tree construction until last year, when Brian Pattison took over.

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“There are so many moving parts to this,” Pattison said. “Ricky (Barrow) buys traps or brings traps into the harbor to that location, and a bunch of people help him build the tree. It’s not just three or four people. It takes a village to put this whole thing together.”

Gloucester, 97 Main St.

Gloucester was one of the first communities in the area to build a large tree in a public space to celebrate the season in 2001 after a local business owner saw a similar tree in Rockland, Maine.

"It was nowhere near the size it is now, but we did build it," said Barry Pett, who helped construct the tree during the first few years. "For years, the question going back and forth was whether ours was bigger than the one in Maine, but I'm pretty sure now Gloucester's is the largest."

Now a beloved tradition, the finished tree stands 45 feet tall and consists of more than 300 traps − big enough that visitors can actually enter the tree and see the lights on all sides.

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Each year, Cape Ann Art Haven orchestrates the painting of the buoy decorations for the tree by children from the community. The buoys are then auctioned off when the tree is disassembled in the new year.

In 2014, Gloucester's Temple Ahavat Achim joined in on the fun, building a lobster trap menorah for Hanukkah outside its building, complete with a buoy "candle" for each night of the celebration. Pett said they believe it's the only one of its kind in the world.

The temple has continued the tradition annually, with the lighting this year taking place on Tuesday, Dec. 20. Hanukkah begins at sundown on Dec. 18.

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This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: Lobster trap tree tradition takes hold on the South Shore