- In December 2023, Hayden Hardesty and her boyfriend went to cut down their first Christmas tree together in Washington’s Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
- Once they arrived, Hardesty’s boyfriend spotted what appeared to be the “perfect” tree
- However, when they pulled into their driveway, Hardesty realized the tree had had a rough ride
- Recently, Hardesty noticed one of those iPhone memories pop up on her phone with a picture of the tree and shared it on TikTok
- The video blew up, amassing more than 23.8 million views and 7,700 comments
One couple is going viral for sharing the story of their Christmas tree mishap from last year.
It all started last holiday season when Hayden Hardesty and her boyfriend decided to cut down their first Christmas tree together in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest for a fun date night. According to the forest’s website, Christmas tree cutting is legal in Washington state, provided you purchase a permit.
Once they arrived, Hardesty’s boyfriend spotted what appeared to be the “perfect” tree. Covered in snow, it was difficult to assess how full the tree actually was, especially since they were also trudging through 1 to 2 feet of snow.
“We dragged the tree back to the truck, loaded it into the bed, and began our two-hour drive home on the highway,” Hardesty tells PEOPLE.
Hayden Hardesty
However, when they pulled into their driveway, Hardesty realized the tree had had a rough ride.
“We took the tree out of the back of the truck,” she recalls. “By this time, the snow had melted, and it was clear the tree had lost some branches in transit. We just looked at each other in silence and then busted out laughing because there was NO WAY this was the same tree we loaded into the truck two hours earlier.”
Things only got worse from there. Once they brought the tree inside, they realized it was too tall for their living room. They brought it back outside and spent 15 minutes debating what to do.
Eventually, they decided to cut the top off, reasoning that the bottom had the most branches and keeping the top would help preserve a natural tree shape. However, after they made the cut, the tree became even more flat and awkward.
“Once we cut the tree, there was no going back — we were fully committed to putting it up,” Hardesty says. “We brought it back inside, popped a bottle of wine, and began decorating. It was honestly so funny wrapping the string lights around the literal 2-inch trunk and trying to find branches to hang them on. We had a great time decorating our Charlie Brown tree and using every last branch to hang ornaments.”
“It definitely wasn’t what we imagined, but we ended up with a hilarious, memorable tree and a great night,” she continues. “Once we were done decorating and putting it in water, we sat on the couch and just laughed about how this would be a Christmas we would never forget. It was such a fun day, full of laughs, which made us love the tree even more. We ended up keeping it up until January!”
Hayden Hardesty
Recently, Hardesty noticed one of those iPhone photo memories pop up on her phone with a picture of the tree, and she couldn’t help but laugh. With the holidays approaching, she decided to share it on TikTok for her small group of friends.
“Just going to bring this back to life for a second…. Wishing us better luck this weekend,” she captioned the post. But to her surprise, the video blew up, amassing more than 23.8 million views and 7,700 comments.
Reading through the comments, Hardesty says she felt seen as users shared how they were also shocked by what happened during the tree’s journey from the woods to their home. A few commenters even shared stories about how the video reminded them of their parents bringing home trees and starting family traditions.
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“Then it got to a million views, and I thought that was crazy,” Hardesty says. “I figured it would stop there, but it kept getting 100,000 views basically every hour for days … From the comments I’ve read, people LOVE our Charlie Brown tree and think it’s hilarious.”
“I am honestly impressed with how many jokes people and brands have come up with about a simple tree,” she adds. “Some of my favorites are: ‘We decorate and we don’t judge,’ ‘It’s so happy to be chosen,’ and ‘2 is generous.’ ”
“I hope I was able to spread a little Christmas cheer and make people laugh,” she continues. “The tree brought a smile to our faces and reminded me that it really is the imperfections that make these ‘perfect’ moments and things more special.”
Hayden Hardesty
The Seattle local adds that the couple is planning to go shopping for this year’s Christmas tree soon, and after last year’s mishap, they’ve created a plan to make sure the situation doesn’t repeat itself.
“We might need to close the top of the bed of the truck this [time],” she says.
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