Tide Harbor Suspense by Zara West

Lobsters play an important economic role in the coastal villages of Nova Scotia. Fifty thousand tons of lobster are harvested each year.

While traditional lobster traps were made of bent wood and slats, contemporary lobster traps are rectangular-shaped metal cages that come in a variety of colors. Inside, netting funnels the lobster into the trap, but cleverly prevents the lobster from getting back out.

When the Christmas season rolls around, lobster traps are stacked into twenty–five foot tall Christmas trees in numerous locations in the province, and decorated in creative ways with buoys, fir boughs, and more.

In some communities, such as Barrington, Nova Scotia, buoys attached to the traps are dedicated to fisherman who have lost their lives at sea. This is the holiday tradition described in my recent, special for newsletter subscribers, 2023 Short Story “Holiday Stranger” a prequel to Concealed By the Tide.

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Fascinated?

To learn more about Nova Scotia’s Lobster Trap Christmas trees see: Nova Scotia’s Unique Christmas Tree Traditions and Oh Buoy, Lobster Trap Trees are a Nova Scotia Christmas Tradition.

Or watch a tree being built:

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