HST wasn't one to pass up an opportunity to instill madness, stir up chaos, and generally fu*k sh*t up. Something of a tradition at his home in Owl Farm; HST would have his secretary Deborah Fuller leave the Christmas Tree on the front porch so that he could set it on fire.
It's near impossible to gather what might've been going through the crazy old dude's head, but heck if HST knew how to leave it all on the field.