Signs of the season are starting to arrive on New Jersey beaches.

No one is really sure how it got started, but the relatively new tradition of Christmas trees on Jersey Shore beaches continues to grow.

It started before the pandemic shut everything down, but really grew over the last two years, and now multiple locations are being reported on social media.

Facebook/Somers Point, NJ Scene
Facebook/Somers Point, NJ Scene
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Families come from near and far to walk the beach, see the tree, take a few photos and leave a painted shell beneath the pine boughs.

Facebook/Somers Point, NJ Scene
Facebook/Somers Point, NJ Scene
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The first trees of this season went up in Ocean City this week, at the North Beach and 55th Street.

Facebook/Somers Point, NJ Scene
Facebook/Somers Point, NJ Scene
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At North Beach, the tree is linked to a community food drive, and visitors are asked to bring a donation of non-perishable food.

Facebook/Somers Point, NJ Scene
Facebook/Somers Point, NJ Scene
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Many more trees will be going up in the coming days, and thousands will come to place a shell.

Facebook/Lori Minassian
Facebook/Lori Minassian
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The trees are also environmentally friendly. Used Christmas trees are used in many towns to shore up protective dunes. The trees are buried in the sand to help prevent erosion.

If you know of a beach tree in New Jersey, please let us know about it. Leave a comment, send and email or use the free NJ101.5 app to send us a message to help spread the Christmas spirit.

We'll use your comments to put together a list of beach Christmas trees to visit this Holiday season.

Eric Scott is the senior political director and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

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