Some of the first Christmas trees, which were decorated in a fashion similar to current Christmas trees, were used by the Romans during the winter festival of Saturnalia. This festival was a celebration dedicated to the god of agriculture, Saturnus and trees were decorated with small pieces of metal. The first evergreen tree to be decorated on Christmas was during the Middle Ages for the feast of Adam and Eve that was held on December 24 th . This evergreen tree was decorated with apples.
The first instance of trees being sold specifically as Christmas trees has been traced to 1531 in Alsace, France. At this time Alsace was actually a part of Germany and these trees were available in the markets. Townsfolk would purchase the trees and then bring them home to be decorated. In some areas there were specifications on the size of the tree, as only one tree per person was allowed and the tree could not be longer than eight shoe lengths.
The first indoor Christmas tree is attributed to Martin Luther. He was so overcome with the beauty of the trees during a winter walk that he brought some inside and decorated them with candles. Though historians are not sure when to attribute the start of lighted trees. Some state that Martin Luther was the first to use candles on the tree while others have found evidence that this did not occur until more than 100 years after Luther’s death, in 1546.
The oldest official record of a decorated indoor Christmas tree was from Strasburg, France. In that a diary from 1605 describes a Christmas tree that was decorated with candy, apples and paper roses. Another custom present during the 17 th and 18 th centuries in Germany and Austria used the tops of evergreen trees. These tops were hung upside down in the living room and decorated with strips of red paper, nuts and apples. In the United Kingdom, Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, brought the Christmas tree to Windsor Castle in 1834.
The first Christmas tree in the United States was set up at a German Church in 1747. IN this instance an actual tree was not used but large wooden pyramids were covered with evergreen branches and then decorated. After this instance the next usage of the Christmas tree was attributed to Hessian troops during the War for Independence. A Christmas tree was set up in Fort Dearborn in 1804 by soldiers. All other accounts of Christmas trees in the United States were mainly isolated to those with German ancestry.
The custom of decorating a Christmas tree was not introduced until 1842. Charles Minnegrode from Williamsburg, Virginia began to decorate the evergreen trees and soon following decorating a Christmas tree was very fashionable in many of the States. The first retail lot of Christmas trees in the US was set up by Mark Carr. He farmed trees in the Catskills and brought them to New York City in 1851. The first Christmas tree appeared in the White house in 1856 when Franklin Pierce was entertaining a group of Sunday School children. The very first national Christmas tree was lighted by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923.
History of Christmas Trees A Little Bit of History About Christmas Trees History of the Christmas Tree The National Christmas Tree A History of Christmas Decorations
All About Christmas Trees
Trees for Troops – A donation of $10 allows tree sellers to provide free Christmas trees to military families and to those soldiers fighting overseas. Types of Christmas Trees – There are many different types of evergreen trees that are used as Christmas trees. The type of tree available depends on the buyer’s location. Tips for Buying a Christmas Tree – Christmas trees are all different with various types of trees having different scents or duration to which the needles stay on the tree. Christmas Tree Farms – Find the local Christmas tree farms in your area. Take a tour and learn all about Christmas trees and have fun participating in other winter activities. The National Christmas Tree – The lighting of the National Christmas tree in Washington, D.C. is a big Christmas Event. Tannenbaum – Learn about the German folk song, featuring the Christmas tree. This Christmas carol was written in 1820 by August Zarnack. World Wide Christmas Tree Contest – Submit a picture of your Christmas tree and be in to win a cash prize. Decorated trees from around the world are eligible. VCGTA Scholarship – Win a college scholarship from the Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association for those studying farming and/or researching how to market and grow better quality trees. Christmas Around the World – Discover the Christmas traditions used in countries around the world. Learn about traditional decorations, foods and games. History of the Christmas Tree – Follow the Christmas traditions through history and see when the first Christmas tree was decorated and how the Christmas tree became an important symbol for this holiday. Caring for a Christmas Tree -Tips on how to properly care for a live Christmas tree, as special conditions and care will ensure that the tree lasts a long time. Growing Christmas Trees – Learn all about how to grow Christmas trees and what goes into creating and being successful with a Christmas tree farm. Christmas Reading – A list of recommended books that focus on Christmas and Christmas trees. How to Decorate a Christmas Tree – Tips on how to decorate a Christmas tree including the advantageous and disadvantages of using different lights, materials and ornaments. Decorate the Christmas Tree – Have fun playing interactive Christmas themed games.
Christmas Tree Notes and Facts
The first Christmas tree sold in the United States was in 1851 and trees have been sold at Christmas ever since. Originally all Christmas trees came from forests, until farmers began growing trees specifically for Christmas. In 2007 the top states that grew Christmas trees included Oregon producing 6,850,841 trees North Carolina with 3,085,383 trees, Michigan with 1,572,208 trees, Pennsylvania with 1,179,733 trees and Wisconsin with 950,440 trees. The most popular types of Christmas trees include the Douglas fir, Scotch pine, balsam fir, Virginia pine, Noble fir, white pine and the Fraser fir. It can take up to 15 years for a Christmas tree to grow to the necessary size and shape to be sold at Christmas. Normally 1,000 to 2,000 trees are planted per acre each year, with only 50 to 75% actually surviving. In very northern Christmas tree farms as little as 38% will survive. Approximately 15,000 farms in the United States grow Christmas trees with more than 350 acres growing Christmas trees. In February 2011 the official National Christmas tree in Washington D.C. was damaged due to high winds. The blue spruce snapped cleanly just above the base of the tree. The tree has stood in its place for more than 48 years and was in very good health. Chicago’s Christmas Ship was a three masted schooner than sailed into Chicago and sold Christmas trees. Today the Coast Guard delivers trees to deserving families. These tree donations are made possible by donors, sponsors and contributors. Besides the benefit of having trees available for Christmas, these trees also provide a safe home of wildlife . After Christmas trees can be recycled. These recycled trees are used as barriers to prevent soil erosion, sand barriers and can function as shelter for fish when placed in ponds. Records have shown that the very first decorations were placed on trees in 1510. This decoration originated in Riga, Latvia. In Chicago there is a tradition of lighting the Chicago Christmas tree in Grant Park. This tradition dates back to 1913 when the Mayor Carter H. Harrison lit the first official tree. Trees grown specifically for Christmas are grown in all 50 states , including Alaska and Hawaii. The first lights used on Christmas trees were small candles . This tradition dates back to the mid 17 th century. Unlike modern times, the candles could only stay lit for a short time due to fire issues. The use of electric lights on Christmas trees was developed by Edward Johnson, the assistant to Thomas Edison. He developed the first string of Christmas tree lights in 1882. Trees that are cut and then transported for retail are baled . This protects the branches from damage during transportation. Approximately 30 to 35 million real trees are sold as Christmas trees in the United States each year. Each year the citizens of Oslo, Norway present a Christmas tree as a gift to the city of Westminster in England. This is an expression of gratitude for help received during the Second World War. Besides being grown for Christmas the trees grown at farms remove pollen and dust from the air and convert carbon dioxide to oxygen .