The History Behind Christmas Trees
This is the story on how Christmas trees came to be a tradition every Christmas.
It is time to make the list of naughty or nice kids. Santa clause is on his way to slip a little gift for being good to you!
How do trees represent Christmas? Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. The Paradise tree, a fir tree decorated with apples, represented the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Cities of Tallinn in Estonia and Riga in Latvia both claim they used the first Christmas tree. However, the first person known to bring a tree into their home was a German preacher in the 16th century, Martin Luther. He said he was in the forest the night before Christmas and looked at the stars through the branches.
Christmas trees as we know them today date back to the 19th century in Germany, when people used goose feathers colored green to create indoor “trees.” Today, both fake and real evergreen fir trees are used around the world every year. Some people even plant their own, live Christmas trees. Others make pyramids out of wood and decorate them. These wooden pyramid trees are called ‘Paradise trees.’
Global & Historic Christmas Tree Trivia:
*In the early days of Christmas trees, people in Germany used edible ornaments such as gingerbread and gold covered apples to decorate. Later, glassmakers started making ornaments.
*In 1882, Edward Johnson, who worked with Edison, strung 80 red, white, and blue bulbs together, and in 1890 the Edison company had put out a brochure offering lights for Christmas.
*The tallest Christmas tree on record was 52m and 170.6ft high mounted with green pvc leaves. It was called ‘The Peace Tree.’ The tree was displayed from December 1st of 2001 until 6th of January 2002 in Moinhos de Vento park, Porto Alegre Brazil.
*In Greenland they have no trees so they get them imported with ornaments and candles.
*Christmas in Brazil falls in the summer, so they get decorate pine trees with little pieces of cotton for snow.
* The Irish buy trees anytime in December.
*People in Sweden buy trees a while before Christmas Eve, but don’t to bring it inside the house and decorate it until just a few days before.
*In Norway the parents set up their family’s tree, and then everyone circles it, holding hands and singing carols.
* Spanish families they let the kids play “Catalonia’, where they hit the tree trunk and candy and goodies hidden in the trunk fall out.
* Christmas in South Africa falls in summer, so Christmas trees are not commonly found, and instead people cover windows with sparkly cotton wool and tinsel.
* In Saudi Arabia, they have to celebrate Christmas privately in their own homes and Christmas lights are suspended.
* People in the Philippines make homemade trees and put them in every window, symbolizing the star of Bethlehem.
* In China, not many people celebrate Christmas, but those who do call their Christmas trees “trees of light.”
*Christmas is devoted to the love of their children in Japan. They also decorate their trees with dolls and other children’s toys. Christmas trees have been sold in the united states since 1850.
American Christmas Tree Trivia:
*Franklin pierce, the 14th president, brought the first Christmas tree into the White House.
*In all 50 states, Christmas trees are grown–including Hawaii and Alaska.
*98% of the Christmas trees are grown on farms, and more than 1,000,000 acres of land are used to grow Christmas trees.
*77 million Christmas trees are planted every year.
*Teddy Roosevelt banned Christmas tree from the White House for environmental reasons.
*About 34 to 36 million Christmas trees are produced each year and 95% was shipped or sold from the farm.
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a Christmas tree!
