In the folklore of Taylor Swift's life, there are certain details and events that have come up repeatedly over the years. Some are referenced repeatedly in her lyrics, but stay off-topic in interviews (like certain early events in her relationship with Joe Alwyn—the initial attraction while she was seeing someone else, the dive bar date, the big rooftop talk), others are part of her mythology in song and interview form—like her childhood growing up on a Christmas tree farm.
In addition to being the subject of her 2019 Christmas song, this oh-so-quaint detail is a very real part of Swift's origin story. Before her family moved to Nashville so she could pursue her music career, the Swifts really did live on a Christmas tree farm in West Reading, Pennsylvania.
A full decade before she released "Christmas Tree Farm" the song, Swift opened up about her experiences growing up on said farm during an interview with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. In the clip, which has resurfaced in time for the holidays, Swift shared that she had a job on the farm: collecting praying mantises from the Douglas fir trees.
"They lay eggs and they form pods on the Douglas firs Christmas trees," she explained. "It's their favorite tree to infest."
"That's where I would come in," she continued. "I would walk around the Christmas trees all day and pick them off and put them in, like, a little basket ... so people wouldn't have bugs in their houses."
Swift continued to reference her Christmas tree farm days over the years, including during a 2014 interview with Esquire, in which attributed the experience with her eternal love of the Christmas season.
"It was such a weird place to grow up," she said. "But it has cemented in me this unnatural level of excitement about fall and then the holiday season."
And then, of course, there's "Christmas Tree Farm" the song, which Swift released in 2019, along with a music video featuring real-life footage from the Swift family's holiday home videos back in the day.
-
Kendall Jenner's Vintage Mugler Collection Is Seemingly EndlessThe model managed to pull off another Mugler costume change for her second stop of the night.
-
How Stylist Micaela Erlanger Crafted a Decade of Standout Lupita Nyong'o Oscars LooksThe duo has been inseparable since Nyong'o's first ceremony.
-
Serena Williams's Red Carpet Watch Arrives Right on TimeIt's a perfect match to her black Dolce & Gabbana ballgown.
-
Taylor Swift's Ex Just Teased His Interest in Playing the Next James Bond at 2025 OscarsWith speculation swirling about who could take over the iconic role, Joe Alywn told a red carpet reporter how he felt about playing the character.
-
Travis Kelce Just Shared a Life-Changing Decision That Impacts His Relationship With Taylor Swift"I've got a real bad taste in my mouth."
-
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Just Pulled Off a Secret Date Night Following "Romantic" International GetawayGrab your passport and her hand.
-
Here's What Chiefs Coach Andy Reid Really Thinks About Taylor SwiftHonestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?
-
Tennis Player Frances Tiafoe Spills on What Taylor Swift Is Really Like to Hang Out With"We were drinking all day together."
-
Travis Kelce Shares How Taylor Swift Lifts Him Up When He's "Depressed"He feels "So High School."
-
Forget 'Reputation (Taylor's Version)' Because Taylor Swift Could Be Dropping a Whole New Album SoonThere's a lot going on at the moment.
-
Travis Kelce's Romance With Taylor Swift "Felt Different" From His Previous Relationships, According to Jason Kelce"You could tell how much he really, really liked her, right from the get-go."
