Taylor Swift Explains What Her Job Was a Kid Growing Up on a Christmas Tree Farm in Resurfaced Video
In the ever-evolving folklore of Taylor Swift’s life, certain memories are etched into her mythology, shaping the artist’s narrative for both her fans and herself. One of the most beloved chapters in this story is her childhood spent on a Christmas tree farm in West Reading, Pennsylvania. A detail that has appeared in both her lyrics and interviews, it is not just a charming backdrop to her life but a very real part of Swift’s origin story. Before the Swifts packed up and moved to Nashville to pursue her musical dreams, they ran a Christmas tree farm where young Taylor took on some unexpected responsibilities.
One of the standout moments from her time on the farm is her job collecting praying mantises, which has resurfaced in a nostalgic video just in time for the holiday season. The clip, originally from a 2009 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, sees Swift explaining her childhood duties with a touch of humor and fondness.
“I would walk around the Christmas trees all day and pick them off and put them in a little basket… so people wouldn’t have bugs in their houses,” she recalled, describing how the mantises would lay eggs in the pods of Douglas firs, infesting the trees. While many may associate a Christmas tree farm with festive cheer and the smell of pine, for young Taylor, it was also a world of insect management. Swift noted that the mantises favored the Christmas trees for their nesting, which gave her the somewhat unusual task of removing the eggs to keep the trees pest-free for buyers.
This memory resurfacing is not just a quirky throwback to her childhood—it also ties into her longstanding connection to the Christmas season, one that has become a central theme in her life and music. As she shared with Esquire in 2014, growing up on the farm instilled in her an “unnatural level of excitement” for both the fall and holiday seasons. “It was such a weird place to grow up,” Swift reflected, but it helped cement her enduring love for the holidays and the traditions that come with them.
Her connection to the Christmas tree farm has also made its way into her music, most notably with the release of her 2019 Christmas song, Christmas Tree Farm. The track, a joyful and upbeat holiday anthem, was accompanied by a music video featuring real-life footage from the Swift family’s holiday home videos, offering fans a glimpse into the idyllic, festive atmosphere of her childhood. The song and video are a celebratory tribute to the memories of her youth spent surrounded by trees, family, and the joy of the season.
In revisiting her early experiences, Swift has not only shared cherished memories of her upbringing but also demonstrated the lasting influence of those years spent on the farm. It’s clear that her Christmas tree farm days shaped not just her love for the holidays but also her deep connection to the traditions that have made her the icon she is today. Fans have long been enchanted by the stories she weaves into her music, and this latest video continues to add a rich layer to her personal narrative, showcasing a side of Taylor Swift that remains deeply rooted in simplicity and nostalgia.
