Former Angel Tree Kid Remembers Her ‘Best Christmas Ever’ When Santa Outdid Himself — And Her Parents Were So Happy For Her
Angel trees are a great way to give back this holiday season.
PinkCoffee Studio / Shutterstock One of the best trends to come out of TikTok this holiday season is angel trees — special trees set up with tags that list a child or senior’s Christmas wishes. While the angel trees themselves aren’t new, this year influencers are going all out to spread holiday joy and make sure that families in need get everything they want for Christmas.
It’s incredibly heartwarming to see such a charitable trend, and while we don’t normally get to see or hear the reactions of the angel tree recipients, one woman named Annie shared her memorable angel tree experience from when she was just five years old.
A woman who received gifts from an angel tree as a child shared her story on TikTok.
Annie set the scene for what became an unforgettable Christmas for her and her brother. “It’s Christmas of 2002. It’s our first year in America. I'm five years old. My brother is six, almost seven,” she said. “And my dad’s making $50 a week — $200 a month. I don’t know how we survived.”
Annie explained that she’s still not sure how she and her brother ended up on an angel tree. “My parents had no idea what an angel tree was, and I have no idea who submitted us, maybe a teacher,” she shared. “But, somehow they tracked my parents down and got all these angel tree gifts to them that were for us.”
She recalled waking up to toys everywhere, including a backpack, journals, clothes, shoes, and a rollerblading doll. "It was so colorful and girly, and I was amazed."
As a child, Annie was in blissful disbelief over her holiday surprise. “I thought that Santa had outdone himself that year," she said. "I had no idea what had happened, but this was a completely different Christmas than ever before.”
Her parents made the holiday even more special, fully enjoying their children’s surprises just as much as they did. “My parents made it such a big deal. They were so excited for us.” When Annie was older, her parents made sure she knew where such special gifts had come from. “When we got old enough to understand, they explained the whole thing to us.”
Now, Annie does all that she can to pay it forward. “I really think that changed Christmas for me,” she said of the exciting year. “This was the number one thing I wanted to do every single year when I was old enough to do something like this.” Ever since she had her first job as a junior in high school, Annie has bought gifts for angel tree kids and seniors.
Anyone can get involved in giving this holiday season through angel trees.
Kids like Annie and her brother are still hoping for their dreams to come true on Christmas morning. The good news is that anyone can get involved in donating through an angel tree.
Perhaps the most visible angel tree is the one the Salvation Army has been placing inside Walmart locations for over four decades. This tree allows kind shoppers to donate toys and clothing to children in need. Other charitable organizations, like the Prison Fellowship and local churches, also have their versions of angel trees.
This year, influencers have undoubtedly brought increased awareness to angel trees — over 186 million videos have been posted to TikTok with #angeltree. Hopefully, more kids than ever will be pleasantly surprised this Christmas morning.
Clara Peirce, whose angel tree video from last year got 31.5 million views, went all out for a handful of kids, buying them everything on their wishlists and more.
Other TikTok users shared their own experiences in the comments of different videos. “I was also an angel tree kid. Just dropped off the gift for the 13-year-old I picked. She wanted a purse. She got a Coach!” one person said. “Influencers going hard for angel trees is my favorite trend,” wrote another.
As the world heads into the season of giving, it’s so important to remember those who are in need in addition to those we know and love. Contributing to an angel tree wish list is a great way to give back to the community and remind yourself of the true spirit of Christmas. It is also a sure way to make someone’s holiday even brighter.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest stories.