Putting the star on top of the Christmas tree is the greatest honor in yuletide decorating.  Oh sure the lights are important, but there are a million lights.  They’re a dime a dozen.  And ornaments?  Don’t even get me started.  Who’s going to notice where you hang one of dozens of ornaments on your festive evergreen?  

But the star?  C’mon, that’s the top dog.  The big cheese.  The head honcho.  There’s only one tree topper, and only one person can put it in place.  That person pretty much dominates the entire hall decking operation.  

At least that’s how my daughters saw it when they were little.  That’s why we had to establish an orderly system for them to take turns each year as the designated star hanger.  My wife even went so far as to put a note in the box with our Christmas star to remind us who had the distinction of hanging the star the previous year.  That way there would be no dispute as to who was up to bat this holiday season.