German settlers migrated to Canada from the United States in the 1700's and
they brought with them many of the things that we associate with Christmas
today: Advent calendars, gingerbread houses, cookies--and Christmas trees.
When Queen Victoria's German husband, Prince Albert, put up a Christmas tree
at Windsor Castle in 1848, the Christmas tree became a tradition throughout
England, the United States, and Canada.
Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United states since about
1850.
Between 1887-1933 a fishing schooner called the "Christmas Ship" would tie
up at the Clark Street bridge and sell spruce trees from Michigan to Chicagoans.
Franklin Pierce, the 14th President, brought the Christmas tree tradition to
the White House.
In 1912, the first community Christmas tree in the United States was erected
in New York City.
In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree
Lighting Ceremony now held every year on the White House lawn.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition began in 1933.
In 1963, the National Christmas Tree was not lit until December 22nd because
of a national 30-day period of mourning following the assassination of President
Kennedy.
Since 1966, the National Christmas Tree Association has given a Christmas
tree to the President and first family.
In 1979, the National Christmas Tree was not lighted except for the top
ornament. This was done in honor of the American hostages in Iran.
In 1984, the National Christmas Tree was lit on December 13th with
temperatures in the 70's, making it one of the warmest tree lightings in
history.
Thomas Edison's assistants came up with the idea of electric lights for
Christmas trees.
Teddy Roosevelt banned the Christmas tree from the White House for
environmental reasons.
Many Christmas traditions practiced around the world today started in
Germany.
It has been long thought that Martin Luther began the tradition of bringing
a fir tree into the home. According to one legend, late one evening Martin
Luther was walking home through the woods and noticed how beautifully the stars
shined through the trees. He wanted to share the beauty with his wife so he cut
down a fir tree and took it home. Once inside he placed small lighted candles on
the branches and said that it would be a symbol of the beautiful Christmas sky.
Another legend says that in the early sixteenth Century, people in Germany
combined two customs that had been practiced in different countries around the
globe. The Paradise tree (a fir tree decorated with apples) represented the Tree
of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. The Christmas Light, a small pyramid-like
frame, usually decorated with glass balls and tinsel and with a candle on top,
was a symbol of the birth of Christ as the Light of the World. Changing the
tree's apples to tinsel balls and cookies; and combining this new tree with the
Light placed on top, the Germans created the tree that many of us know now.
The tallest living Christmas tree is believed to be the 122-foot,
91-year-old Douglas fir in the town of Woodinville, Washington.
Other types of trees such as cherry and hawthorns were used as Christmas
trees in the past.
Most Christmas trees are cut weeks before they get to a retail outlet.
Christmas trees generally take 6-8 years to mature.
100,000 people are employed in the Christmas tree industry in the United
States.
98 percent of all Christmas trees are grown on farms.
More than 1,000,000 acres of land have been planted with Christmas trees.
77 million Christmas trees are planted each year.
On average, over 2,000 Christmas trees are planted per acre.
Thirty-four to thirty-six million Christmas trees are produced each year and
95 percent are shipped or sold directly from Christmas tree farms.
California, Oregon, Michigan, Washington, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North
Carolina are the top Christmas tree producing states.
The best selling trees are Scotch pine, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir
and White Pine.
In the first week, a tree in your home will consume as much as a quart of
water per day.
Tinsel was once banned by the government. Tinsel contained lead at one time,
now it's made of plastic.
You should never burn your Christmas tree in the fireplace. It can
contribute to creosote buildup.
Today, the Tannenbaum (Christmas tree) is traditionally decorated in secret
with lights, tinsel, and ornaments by the mother and is lit and revealed on
Christmas Eve with cookies, nuts, and gifts under its branches.
