Marius Plitninkas, a banker from Vilnius, has devised an unconventional approach to imparting a life lesson to his children. Each year, the family visits the same Christmas tree market on Žirmūnų Street in Vilnius and deliberately chooses the ugliest tree. Plitninkas wants his sons to see that it is not always necessary to pick the shiniest or seemingly perfect option.
Speaking to LRT.lt, Marius said he has been selecting the “ugliest” tree for more than a decade. Sometimes the tree is asymmetrical; sometimes it has a double or triple tip. But once it is loaded into the car, its scent makes him realise it is not so bad after all.
He added: “We constantly joke that once again we failed to pick an ugly tree – we ended up with a very beautiful one.”
Plitninkas has two sons, now aged 16 and 7. Neither has ever asked their father to pick a beautiful tree.
“Nowadays, children tend to choose things that look branded, standardised, or VIP,” he said. “I want to show them that it can be different.”
How do sellers react to such an unusual request? “Outdoor vendors are often tired and cold. At first, they are surprised by my request, then they smile and look around to see what they can offer. They even give a good price – this year we paid 5 euros, though the tree would normally cost 15 or 20,” he said.
This year, he shared the family tradition on his Facebook page. He wrote: “For over a decade, we have bought a tree from the same market. Every year we ask the sellers to pick and sell the ugliest tree – the one nobody wants, the sad one...”
One group of sellers searched through around 200 trees but could not confidently suggest one. They remembered that last year “someone else also wanted the ugliest tree”, according to Plitninkas.
A second group of sellers made a suggestion. Marius smiled with certainty and delight. “I’ve got it!” he said, and led them straight to the fence: “Here it is!”
He added: “Value and beauty do not begin with symmetry. Nothing should be left unchosen – not just during Advent.”
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