Facts about Christmas Tree

Fact not to miss about Christmas Tree

As people are hustling and bustling through the holiday season, probably few take a moment to marvel over the history and life of a Christmas tree. Most of us put up the Christmas tree, mostly for tradition’s sake. After all, it doesn’t feel like Christmas until the tree goes up. But do you know much about the history of Christmas trees? Be sure to keep these listed below facts about Christmas tree handy for small talk at your next party.

-         The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531.

-         The decorated Christmas tree can be traced back to the ancient Romans who decorated trees with small pieces of metal during Saturnalia, a winter festival in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture.

-         Thomas Edison’s assistant, Edward Johnson, came up with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees in 1882.

-         There are over 500 Christmas tree growers in Illinois and growing Christmas trees provides a habitat for the wildlife.

-         Recycled live trees have been used to make sand and soil erosion barriers, placed in ponds for fish shelter and make great winter protection for perennial flowers.

-         Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states of US including Hawaii and Alaska. The top six Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Washington & Wisconsin.

-         98 percent of all Christmas trees are grown on farms. Also, more than 330,000 real Christmas trees are sold via e-commerce or catalogs.

-         A noteworthy fact about Christmas tree is that the custom of the Christmas tree was introduced in the United States during the War of Independence by Hessian troops. An early account tells of a Christmas tree set up by American soldiers at Fort Dearborn, Illinois, the site of Chicago, in 1804.

-         Franklin Pierce was the first president of the United States to introduce the Christmas tree to the White House in 1856 for a group of Washington Sunday School children. The first national Christmas Tree was lighted in the year 1923 on the White House lawn by President Calvin Coolidge.

-         Scotch pine, Douglas fir, Noble fir, Fraser fir, Virginia pine, Balsam fir and White pine are the most popular Christmas trees.

-         Another important fact about Christmas tree is that you should never burn your Christmas tree in the fireplace. It can also contribute to creosote buildup.

-         Every year since 1947, the people of Oslo, Norway have given a Christmas tree to the city of Westminster, England. The gift is an expression of good will and gratitude for Britain’s help to Norway during World War II.

Earlier in the past, Christmas trees were often decorated with apples, nuts, cookies and candles. It is now common in most communities through out the US to feature public displays of Christmas trees. Every year the President of the United States lights the National Christmas Tree in Washington.