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Several other species are used to a lesser extent. Less-traditional conifers are sometimes used, such as [[Sequoiadendron|Giant Sequoia]], [[Leyland Cypress]], [[Cupressus macrocarpa|Monterey Cypress]] and [[Juniperus virginiana|Eastern Juniper]]. Various types of [[spruce]] tree are also used for Christmas trees; but spruces (unlike firs) begin to lose their needles rapidly upon being cut, and many spruces, such as [[Blue Spruce]] have very sharp needles, making decorating uncomfortable. [[Virginia Pine]] is still available on some tree farms in the southeastern United States, however its winter colour is faded. The long-needled [[Eastern White Pine]] is also used there, though it is an unpopular Christmas tree in most parts of the country, owing also to its faded winter coloration and limp branches, making decorating difficult with all but the lightest ornaments. [[Araucaria heterophylla|Norfolk Island pine]] is sometimes used, particularly in [[Oceania]], and in [[Australia]] some species of the genera ''[[Casuarina]]'' and ''[[Allocasuarina]]'' are also occasionally used as Christmas trees but by far the most common tree is the [[Monterey Pine]]. [[Adenanthos sericeus]] or Albany Woolly Bush is commonly sold in southern Australia as a potted living Christmas tree. [[Tsuga|Hemlock]] species are generally considered unsuitable as Christmas trees due to their poor needle retention and inability to support the weight of lights and ornaments.
Several other species are used to a lesser extent. Less-traditional conifers are sometimes used, such as [[Sequoiadendron|Giant Sequoia]], [[Leyland Cypress]], [[Cupressus macrocarpa|Monterey Cypress]] and [[Juniperus virginiana|Eastern Juniper]]. Various types of [[spruce]] tree are also used for Christmas trees; but spruces (unlike firs) begin to lose their needles rapidly upon being cut, and many spruces, such as [[Blue Spruce]] have very sharp needles, making decorating uncomfortable. [[Virginia Pine]] is still available on some tree farms in the southeastern United States, however its winter colour is faded. The long-needled [[Eastern White Pine]] is also used there, though it is an unpopular Christmas tree in most parts of the country, owing also to its faded winter coloration and limp branches, making decorating difficult with all but the lightest ornaments. [[Araucaria heterophylla|Norfolk Island pine]] is sometimes used, particularly in [[Oceania]], and in [[Australia]] some species of the genera ''[[Casuarina]]'' and ''[[Allocasuarina]]'' are also occasionally used as Christmas trees but by far the most common tree is the [[Monterey Pine]]. [[Adenanthos sericeus]] or Albany Woolly Bush is commonly sold in southern Australia as a potted living Christmas tree. [[Tsuga|Hemlock]] species are generally considered unsuitable as Christmas trees due to their poor needle retention and inability to support the weight of lights and ornaments.


Some trees, frequently referred to as Living Christmas trees, are sold live with roots and soil, often from a [[Nursery (horticulture)|nursery]], to be stored at nurseries in planters or planted later outdoors and enjoyed (and often decorated) for years or decades. Others are produced in a container and sometimes as [[topiary]] for a porch or patio. However, the combination of root loss caused by digging, and the indoor environment of high [[temperature]] and low [[humidity]] is very detrimental to the tree's health; additionally, the warmth of an indoor climate will bring the tree out of its natural winter [[dormancy]], leaving it little protection when put back outside into a cold outdoor climate. Thus, the survival rate of these trees is low.{{fact|date=November 2009}}
Some trees, frequently referred to as Living Christmas trees, are sold live with roots and soil, often from a [[Nursery (horticulture)|nursery]], to be stored at nurseries in planters or planted later outdoors and enjoyed (and often decorated) for years or decades. Others are produced in a container and sometimes as [[topiary]] for a porch or patio. However, when done improperly, the combination of root loss caused by digging, and the indoor environment of high [[temperature]] and low [[humidity]] is very detrimental to the tree's health; additionally, the warmth of an indoor climate will bring the tree out of its natural winter [[dormancy]], leaving it little protection when put back outside into a cold outdoor climate. Thus, the survival rate of these trees is low.{{fact|date=November 2009}} However, replanting when done properly provide higher survival rates [http://www.for.msu.edu/extension/ExtDocs/xmastree.htm]


European tradition prefers the open aspect of naturally-grown, unsheared trees, while in North America (outside western areas where trees are often wild-harvested on public lands<ref>US Bureau of Land Management: [http://www.co.blm.gov/news/2004/wsctrees.htm Christmas tree permits]</ref>) there is a preference for close-sheared trees with denser foliage, but less space to hang decorations. The shearing also damages the highly attractive natural [[symmetry]] of unsheared trees.
European tradition prefers the open aspect of naturally-grown, unsheared trees, while in North America (outside western areas where trees are often wild-harvested on public lands<ref>US Bureau of Land Management: [http://www.co.blm.gov/news/2004/wsctrees.htm Christmas tree permits]</ref>) there is a preference for close-sheared trees with denser foliage, but less space to hang decorations. The shearing also damages the highly attractive natural [[symmetry]] of unsheared trees.


In the past, Christmas trees were often harvested from wild forests, but now almost all are commercially grown on [[tree farm]]s. Almost all Christmas trees in the United States are grown on Christmas tree farms where they are cut after about ten years of growth and new trees planted. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agriculture census for 2002 (the census is done every five years) there were 21,904 farms were producing conifers for the cut Christmas tree market in America, {{convert|180897|ha|acre|0}} were planted in Christmas trees, and 13,849 farms harvested cut trees. The top 5 percent of the farms (40 hectares / 100 acres or more) sold 61 percent of the trees. The top 26 percent of the farms (8 hectares / 20 acres or more) sold 84 percent of the trees. Farms less than 0.8 hectare (two acres) comprised 21 percent of the farms, and sold an average of 115 trees per farm.<ref>US National Christmas Tree Association: [http://www.christmastree.org/statistics_industry.cfm#findings Statistics]</ref>
In the past, Christmas trees were often harvested from wild forests, but now almost all are commercially grown on [[tree farm]]s. Almost all Christmas trees in the United States are grown on Christmas tree farms where they are cut after about ten years of growth and new trees planted. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agriculture census for 2002 (the census is done every five years) there were 21,904 farms were producing conifers for the cut Christmas tree market in America, {{convert|180897|ha|acre|0}} were planted in Christmas trees, and 13,849 farms harvested cut trees. The top 5 percent of the farms (40 hectares / 100 acres or more) sold 61 percent of the trees. The top 26 percent of the farms (8 hectares / 20 acres or more) sold 84 percent of the trees. Farms less than 0.8 hectare (two acres) comprised 21 percent of the farms, and sold an average of 115 trees per farm.<ref>US National Christmas Tree Association: [http://www.christmastree.org/statistics_industry.cfm#findings Statistics]</ref>

[[Image:Fiber-optic Christmas tree.jpg|thumb|right|A tree with fibre optic lights]]
[[Image:Fiber-optic Christmas tree.jpg|thumb|right|A tree with fibre optic lights]]
The life cycle of a Christmas tree from the seed to a {{convert|2|m|ft|0|sing=on}} tree takes, depending on species and treatment in cultivation, between 8 and 12 years. First, the seed is extracted from cones harvested from older trees. These seeds are then usually grown in nurseries and then sold to Christmas tree farms at an age of 3–4 years. The remaining development of the tree greatly depends on the climate, soil quality, as well as the cultivation and tendance by the Christmas tree farmer.<ref>[http://www.weihnachtsbaumversand.de MK Weihnachtsbaumkulturen]</ref>
The life cycle of a Christmas tree from the seed to a {{convert|2|m|ft|0|sing=on}} tree takes, depending on species and treatment in cultivation, between 8 and 12 years. First, the seed is extracted from cones harvested from older trees. These seeds are then usually grown in nurseries and then sold to Christmas tree farms at an age of 3–4 years. The remaining development of the tree greatly depends on the climate, soil quality, as well as the cultivation and tendance by the Christmas tree farmer.<ref>[http://www.weihnachtsbaumversand.de MK Weihnachtsbaumkulturen]</ref>

Revision as of 18:25, 13 November 2009

For other uses, see Christmas tree (disambiguation).
An indoor Christmas tree

The Christmas tree is a decorated artificial or living tree, a popular tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. Normally an evergreen coniferous tree that is brought into a home or used in the open, a Christmas tree is decorated with Christmas lights and colourful ornaments during the days around Christmas. An angel or star is often placed at the top of the tree, representing the host of angels or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity story.

History

Pre-Christian roots

Historically, there has been opposition to the custom of the Christmas tree because of its pagan origins. In 1851, parishioners in Cleveland, Ohio, USA condemned as a pagan practice the actions of the pastor, Henry Schwan, for decorating one of the earliest Christmas trees in an American Christian church. [citation needed] Robert Chambers in his 1832 Book of Days asserts that the festivities of Christmas "originally derived from the Roman Saturnalia, had afterwards been intermingled with the ceremonies observed by the British Druids at the period of winter-solstice, and at a subsequent period became incorporated with the grim mythology of the ancient Saxons. Two popular observances belonging to Christmas are more especially derived from the worship of our pagan ancestors—the hanging up of the mistletoe and the burning of the Yule log." Regarding the Christmas tree itself, Chambers assumes that it "seems to be a very ancient custom in Germany, and is probably a remnant of the splendid and fanciful pageants of the Middle Ages."

Other traditions relating to Christmas that may derive from Germanic pagan practices include the Christmas ham, Yule Goat, stuffing stockings, elements of Santa Claus and his nocturnal ride through the sky, and elements of Alpine folklore.[1]

There are also some accounts that place the earliest Christmas trees in Tallinn (Reval) or Riga (now capital cities of Estonia and Latvia, respectively). In the two Hanseatic cities the merchants of the Brotherhood of Black Heads guild are known to have carried trees to the city center during Christmas. In Tallinn, as part of a Christmas ritual first recorded in 1441, unmarried merchants sang and danced with the town's girls around a tree erected in town hall square, which they then burned. The species of the tree is not known, as in German bom does not necessarily mean a Christmas tree. [2]

While the Christmas tree's pagan roots are generally accepted, there still are various legends of Christian origins for the tradition. Such legends often relate to Saint Boniface. Such as: Boniface, in the process of converting local pagans, cuts down Thor's Oak, a hallowed tree for the locals, and claims a fir tree growing in the Oak's roots to be a new symbol Jesus Christ for the converted locals. Francis Weisler argued that Christmas trees are “completely Christian in origin" and that "the Yule tree had no direct pagan connotation..." [3]

Origin

A Christmas tree from 1900.

The custom of erecting a Christmas tree can be traced to 16th century Germany, though neither an inventor nor a single town can be identified as the sole origin for the tradition. The earliest that a pine tree was ever used and decorated for Christmas was in 1521 in Germany (in the region of Alsace). From this singular point in time, we see the rapid spread of this tradition throughout Germany and eventually the world. "It was not until the beginning of the nineteenth century, however, that it spread rapidly and grew into a general German custom, which was soon accepted also by the Slavic people of Eastern Europe…" [4] In the Cathedral of Strasbourg in 1539, the church record mentions the erection of a Christmas tree. In that period, the guilds started erecting Christmas trees in front of their guildhalls: Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann (Marburg professor of European ethnology) found a Bremen guild chronicle of 1570 which reports how a small fir was decorated with apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers, and erected in the guild-house, for the benefit of the guild members' children, who collected the dainties on Christmas Day.[5] Another early reference is from Basel, where the tailor apprentices carried around town a tree decorated with apples and cheese in 1597.

In some accounts, Martin Luther is credited with adding lights and decoration to fir branches traditionally hung from ceilings.[6]

18th and 19th century

By the early 18th century, the custom had become common in towns of the upper Rhineland, but it had not yet spread to rural areas. Wax candles are attested from the late 18th century. The Christmas tree remained confined to the upper Rhineland for a relatively long time. It was regarded as a Protestant custom by the Roman Catholic majority along the lower Rhine and was spread there only by Prussian officials who were moved there in the wake of the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Just like Christmas (Germanic Yuletide), the Christmas tree was "adopted" by the Roman Catholic Church because it could not prevent its use.

In the early 19th century, the custom became popular among the nobility and spread to royal courts as far as Russia. Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg introduced the Christmas tree to Vienna in 1816, and the custom spread across Austria in the following years. In France, the first Christmas tree was introduced in 1840 by the duchesse d'Orléans.

The Queen's Christmas tree at Windsor Castle 1848. Republished in Godey's Lady's Book, Philadelphia, December 1850. Victoria's crown, Prince Albert moustache edited.[7]

In Britain, the Christmas tree was introduced in the time of the personal union with Hanover, by George III's Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in early 1800's, but the custom hadn't yet spread much beyond the royal family. Queen Victoria as a child was familiar with the custom. In her journal for Christmas Eve 1832, the delighted 13-year-old princess wrote, "After dinner...we then went into the drawing-room near the dining-room...There were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed round the trees...". After her marriage to her German cousin, Prince Albert, by 1841 the custom became even more widespread throughout Britain.[8] In 1847, Prince Albert wrote: "I must now seek in the children an echo of what Ernest [his brother] and I were in the old time, of what we felt and thought; and their delight in the Christmas-trees is not less than ours used to be".

A woodcut of the British Royal family with their Christmas tree at Windsor Castle, initially published in the Illustrated London News December 1848, was copied in the United States at Christmas 1850, in Godey's Lady's Book (illustration, left). Godey's copied it exactly, except removed the Queens crown, and Prince Alberts moustache, to remake the engraving into an American scene.[9] The republished Godey's image in 1850, the first widely circulated picture of a decorated evergreen Christmas tree in America, Art historian Karal Ann Marling called Prince Albert and Queen Victoria shorn of their royal trappings; "the first influential American Christmas tree".[7] The book containing the image of the family surrounding a decorated tree, folk-culture historian Alfred Lewis Shoemaker states; "In all of America there was no more important medium in spreading the Christmas tree in the decade 1850-60 than Godey's Lady's Book". The image was reprinted in 1860, and by the 1870s, putting up a Christmas tree had become common in America.[9]

Several cities in the United States with German connections lay claim to that country's first Christmas tree: Windsor Locks, Connecticut, claims that a Hessian soldier put up a Christmas tree in 1777 while imprisoned at the Noden-Reed House, while the "First Christmas Tree in America" is also claimed by Easton, Pennsylvania, where German settlers purportedly erected a Christmas tree in 1816. In his diary, Matthew Zahm of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, recorded the use of a Christmas tree in 1821—leading Lancaster to also lay claim to the first Christmas tree in America.[10] Other accounts credit Charles Follen, a German immigrant to Boston, for being the first to introduce to America the custom of decorating a Christmas tree.[11] August Imgard, a German immigrant living in Wooster, Ohio, is the first to popularise the practice of decorating a tree with candy canes. In 1847, Imgard cut a blue spruce tree from a woods outside town, had the Wooster village tinsmith construct a star, and placed the tree in his house, decorating it with paper ornaments and candy canes. The National Confectioners' Association officially recognises Imgard as the first ever to put candy canes on a Christmas tree; the canes were all-white, with no red stripes. Imgard is buried in the Wooster Cemetery, and every year, a large pine tree above his grave is lit with Christmas lights.

20th century

Rockefeller Center tree
Taiwanese aboriginals, tutored by Christian missionaries, celebrate with trees (Cunninghamia lanceolata) outside their homes.

Many cities, towns, and department stores put up public Christmas trees outdoors, such as the Rich's Great Tree in Atlanta, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City and the large Christmas tree at Victoria Square in Adelaide. During most of the 1970s and 1980s, the largest Christmas tree in the world was put up every year on the property of The National Enquirer in Lantana, Florida. This tradition grew into one of the most spectacular and celebrated events in the history of southern Florida, but was discontinued on the death of the paper's founder in the late 1980s.

In some cities Festival of Trees are organised around the decoration and display of multiple trees as charity events. In some cases the trees represent special commemorative gifts, such as in Trafalgar Square in London, where the City of Oslo, Norway presents a tree to the people of London as a token of appreciation for the British support of Norwegian resistance during the Second World War; in Boston, where the tree is a gift from the province of Nova Scotia, in thanks for rapid deployment of supplies and rescuers to the 1917 ammunition ship explosion that levelled the city of Halifax; and in Newcastle upon Tyne, where the 15 m-tall main civic Christmas tree is an annual gift from the city of Bergen, Norway, in thanks for the part played by soldiers from Newcastle in liberating Bergen from Nazi occupation.[12] Norway also annually gifts a Christmas tree to Washington D.C. as a symbol of friendship between Norway and the US and as an expression of gratitude from Norway for the help received from the US during World War II.[13]

The United States' National Christmas Tree is lit each year on the South Lawn of the White House. Today, the lighting of the National Christmas Tree is part of what has become a major holiday event at the White House. President Jimmy Carter lit only the crowning star atop the Tree in 1979 in honour of the Americans being held hostage in Iran.[14] The same was true in 1980, except the tree was fully lit for 417 seconds, one second for each day the hostages had been in captivity.[14]

The term Charlie Brown Christmas tree is used in the United States and Canada to describe any poor-looking or malformed little tree. Some tree buyers intentionally adopt such trees, feeling sympathetic to their plights. The term comes from the appearance of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree in the TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas.

In New Zealand, Pōhutukawa trees are described as "natural Christmas trees", as they bloom at Christmas time, and look like Christmas trees with their red flowers and green foliage.

New Year tree decoration depicting cosmonaut (USSR, 1960s)

In Russia, the Christmas tree was banned shortly after the October Revolution but then reinstated as a New-year fir-tree (Новогодняя ёлка) in 1935. It became a fully secular icon of the New year holiday, e.g. the crowning star was regarded not as a symbol of Bethlehem Star, but as the Red Star. Decorations, such as figurines of airplanes, bicycles, space rockets, cosmonauts, and characters of Russian fairy tales, were produced. This tradition persists after the fall of the USSR, with the New Year holiday outweighting the Christmas (7 January) for a wide majority of Russians[citation needed].

Social Evolution of the Christmas Tree

Throughout the history of Christmas Trees, the human significance of bringing a living evergreen (or facsimile, see artificial trees) into the home represents the continuation of Life through the cold and darkness of winter. The choice of the evergreen is universal through all cultures that have adopted the winter celebration, such that "the holidays" have become a human festival as well as a Christian festival. Thus the term "holiday tree" serves the purpose of engaging larger groups of people regardless of their practiced or non-practiced religions. The primary decoration is light (originally produced by candle flame), which celebrates light in the darkness of the winter. The Christian roots of the Christmas Tree are logical from this social evolution standpoint. Most cultures and religions celebrate light over darkness, and life over death. The tree represents Life in winter, Light in Darkness, Hope of coming Spring, etc, in the same way that the Infant Jesus does by his birth—regardless of the actual date. Thus across all cultures and climates, the adoption of Christmas trees and celebrations is in addition to, rather than separate from, the various celebrations that take place around the winter solstice.

Dates

Christmas trees lit by candles, Denmark.

Both setting up and taking down a Christmas tree are associated with specific dates. In Europe, when the practice of setting up evergreen trees originated in pagan times, the practice was associated with the Winter Solstice, around December 21.[15] Tree decoration was later adopted into Christian practise after the Church set December 25 as the birth of Christ, thereby supplanting the pagan celebration of the solstice.

Traditionally, Christmas trees were not brought in and decorated until Christmas Eve (24 December), and then removed the day after twelfth night (6 January); to have a tree up before or after these dates was even considered bad luck. Modern commercialisation of Christmas has resulted in trees being put up much earlier; in shops often as early as late October[citation needed] (in the UK, Selfridge's Christmas department is up by early September, complete with Christmas trees).[citation needed] Some households in the U.S. do not put up the tree until the second week of December, and leave it up until the 6th of January (Epiphany). In Germany, traditionally the tree is put up on the 24th of December and taken down on the 7th of January, though many start one or two weeks earlier, and in Roman Catholic homes the tree may be kept until late January. In Australia, the Christmas tree is usually put up on the 1st of December, which occurs about a week before the school summer holidays; except for South Australia, where most people put up their tree after the Adelaide Credit Union Christmas Pageant in early November.[citation needed] Some traditions suggest that Christmas trees may be kept up until no later than the 2nd of February, the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Candlemas), when the Christmas season effectively closes.[16] Superstitions say it's a bad sign if Christmas greenery is not removed by Candlemas Eve.[17]]

Types of trees used

A sheared tree's fuller, more conical shape.
An unsheared Christmas tree from 1951, in a home in New York State.
Shopping for Christmas trees, Seattle, Washington, United States, 2007.
A grower in Waterloo, Nova Scotia prunes Balsam Fir trees in October. The tree must experience three frosts to stabilize the needles before cutting.

Natural trees

See also: Christmas tree cultivation

The most commonly used species are fir (Abies), which have the benefit of not shedding their needles when they dry out, as well as retaining good foliage colour and scent; but species in other genera are also used.

In northern Europe most commonly used are:

In North America, Central America and South America most commonly used are:

Several other species are used to a lesser extent. Less-traditional conifers are sometimes used, such as Giant Sequoia, Leyland Cypress, Monterey Cypress and Eastern Juniper. Various types of spruce tree are also used for Christmas trees; but spruces (unlike firs) begin to lose their needles rapidly upon being cut, and many spruces, such as Blue Spruce have very sharp needles, making decorating uncomfortable. Virginia Pine is still available on some tree farms in the southeastern United States, however its winter colour is faded. The long-needled Eastern White Pine is also used there, though it is an unpopular Christmas tree in most parts of the country, owing also to its faded winter coloration and limp branches, making decorating difficult with all but the lightest ornaments. Norfolk Island pine is sometimes used, particularly in Oceania, and in Australia some species of the genera Casuarina and Allocasuarina are also occasionally used as Christmas trees but by far the most common tree is the Monterey Pine. Adenanthos sericeus or Albany Woolly Bush is commonly sold in southern Australia as a potted living Christmas tree. Hemlock species are generally considered unsuitable as Christmas trees due to their poor needle retention and inability to support the weight of lights and ornaments.

Some trees, frequently referred to as Living Christmas trees, are sold live with roots and soil, often from a nursery, to be stored at nurseries in planters or planted later outdoors and enjoyed (and often decorated) for years or decades. Others are produced in a container and sometimes as topiary for a porch or patio. However, when done improperly, the combination of root loss caused by digging, and the indoor environment of high temperature and low humidity is very detrimental to the tree's health; additionally, the warmth of an indoor climate will bring the tree out of its natural winter dormancy, leaving it little protection when put back outside into a cold outdoor climate. Thus, the survival rate of these trees is low.[citation needed] However, replanting when done properly provide higher survival rates [1]

European tradition prefers the open aspect of naturally-grown, unsheared trees, while in North America (outside western areas where trees are often wild-harvested on public lands[18]) there is a preference for close-sheared trees with denser foliage, but less space to hang decorations. The shearing also damages the highly attractive natural symmetry of unsheared trees.

In the past, Christmas trees were often harvested from wild forests, but now almost all are commercially grown on tree farms. Almost all Christmas trees in the United States are grown on Christmas tree farms where they are cut after about ten years of growth and new trees planted. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agriculture census for 2002 (the census is done every five years) there were 21,904 farms were producing conifers for the cut Christmas tree market in America, 180,897 hectares (447,006 acres) were planted in Christmas trees, and 13,849 farms harvested cut trees. The top 5 percent of the farms (40 hectares / 100 acres or more) sold 61 percent of the trees. The top 26 percent of the farms (8 hectares / 20 acres or more) sold 84 percent of the trees. Farms less than 0.8 hectare (two acres) comprised 21 percent of the farms, and sold an average of 115 trees per farm.[19]

A tree with fibre optic lights

The life cycle of a Christmas tree from the seed to a 2-metre (7 ft) tree takes, depending on species and treatment in cultivation, between 8 and 12 years. First, the seed is extracted from cones harvested from older trees. These seeds are then usually grown in nurseries and then sold to Christmas tree farms at an age of 3–4 years. The remaining development of the tree greatly depends on the climate, soil quality, as well as the cultivation and tendance by the Christmas tree farmer.[20]

Artificial trees

Main article: Artificial Christmas trees

The first artificial Christmas trees were developed in Germany during the 19th century,[21][22] though earlier examples exist.[23] These "trees" were made using goose feathers that were dyed green.[21] The German feather trees were one response by Germans to continued deforestation in Germany.[22] Feather Christmas trees ranged widely in size, from a small 2-inch (51 mm) tree to a large 98-inch (2,500 mm) tree sold in department stores during the 1920s.[24] Often, the tree branches were tipped with artificial red berries which acted as candle holders.[25]

A vintage aluminium tree, lit by a rotating colour wheel.

Over the years other styles of artificial Christmas trees have evolved, and become popular. In 1930 the U.S.-based Addis Brush Company created the first artificial Christmas tree made from brush bristles.[26] Another type of tree, the aluminum Christmas tree, is made from aluminum.[22] The trees were manufactured in the United States, first in Chicago in 1958,[27] and later in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where the majority of the trees were produced.[28] Most modern artificial Christmas trees are made from 100% recycled plastics of used packaging materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or other plastics.[22] Just about 10% of artificial Christmas trees are using virgin suspension PVC resin petroleum and despite being plastic most artificial trees are not recyclable or biodegradable.[29]

Other gimmicks have developed as well. Fiber optic Christmas trees come in two major varieties, one resembles a traditional Christmas tree.[30] One Dallas-based company offers "holographic mylar" trees in many hues.[23] Tree-shaped objects made from such materials as cardboard,[31] glass,[32] ceramic or other materials can be found in use as tabletop decorations. Upside-down artificial Christmas trees became popular for a short time and were originally introduced as a marketing gimmick; they allowed consumers to get closer to ornaments for sale in retail stores as well as opened up floor space for more products.[33]

Artificial trees became increasingly popular during the late 20th century.[22] Users of artificial Christmas trees assert that they are more convenient, and, because they are reusable, much cheaper than their natural alternative.[22] Between 2001 and 2007 artificial Christmas tree sales jumped from 7.3 million to 17.4 million.[34]

Environmental issues

Artificial

An artificial Christmas tree.

The debate about the environmental impact of artificial trees is ongoing. Generally, natural tree growers contend that artificial trees are more environmentally harmful than their natural counterpart.[34] On the other side of the debate, trade groups such as the American Christmas Tree Association, continue to refute that artificial trees are more harmful to the environment and maintain that the PVC used in Christmas trees has excellent recyclable properties.[35] In the past, lead often used as a stabilizer in PVC, but is now banned by Chinese laws. Most trees are made of recycled PVC rigid sheets using Tin stabilizer in the recent years. Its use of Lead stabilizer in the old Chinese imported trees has been an issue of concern among politicians and scientists over recent years. A 2004 study found that while in general artificial trees pose little health risk from lead contamination, there do exist "worst-case scenarios" where major health risks to young children exist.[36] Another report, this time a 2008 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report, found that as the PVC in artificial Christmas trees aged it began to degrade.[37] The report determined that of the 50 million artificial trees in the United States approximately 20 million were 9 or more years old, the point where dangerous lead contamination levels are reached.[37] A professional study on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of both real and fake Christmas trees revealed that one must use its artificial Christmas tree at least during 20 years to leave an environmental footprint as small as the natural Christmas tree.[38]

A small amount of real-tree material is used in some artificial trees. For instance, the bark of a real tree can be used to surface an artificial trunk.[39]

Natural

Natural Christmas trees on the other hand are entirely biodegradable and are often reused by tree farms or local governments as woodchips or mulch. A common misunderstanding about natural Christmas trees is that cutting one results in the loss of a tree.[citation needed] Christmas tree farms exist as long as people purchase real trees. Today, as fewer people are buying trees, many farms are going out of business and the land is being used for other purposes,[citation needed] sometimes for development.[citation needed] Moreover, natural Christmas trees are ethical in the way that the Christmas tree production employs local people, supporting the local economy.

Real or Cut trees are used only for a short time, but can be recycled and used as mulch or used to prevent erosion.[40] Real trees are carbon-neutral, they emit no more carbon dioxide by being cut down and disposed of than they absorb while growing.[41] An independent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, conducted by a firm of experts in sustainable development, states that a natural tree will generate 3.1 kg of greenhouse gases whereas the artificial tree will produce 8.1 kg per year.[38] Some people use Living Christmas or potted trees, so they plant it later to help ease the CO2 levels, making it the greenest choice.[citation needed] Living Christmas trees can be reused for several seasons, providing a longer life cycle for each tree. Living Christmas trees can be purchased or rented in by local market growers. Rentals are picked up after the holidays, while purchased trees can be planted by the owner after use or donated to local tree adoption/urban reforestation services. Source:http://www.christmastree.org/statistics_consumer.cfm#type

Farmed trees are considered by many environmentalists better for the environment.[citation needed] David Suzuki is quoted as saying, "I would give a lump of coal to someone who buys an artificial Christmas tree this year. I also would like to commend all privately owned and operated Christmas Tree Farms, especially those in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia's Fraser Valley."[citation needed]

Live trees are typically grown as a crop and replanted in rotation after cutting, often providing suitable habitat for wildlife.[citation needed] In some cases management of Christmas tree crops can result in poor habitat since it sometimes involves heavy input of pesticides.[citation needed]

Decoration and ornaments

Tree trimming decorations

A bauble decorating a Christmas tree

Tinsel and several types of garland or ribbon are commonly used to decorate a Christmas tree. Delicate mould-blown and painted coloured glass Christmas ornaments were a speciality of the glass factories in the Thuringian Forest especially in Lauscha in the late 19th century, and have since become a large industry, complete with famous-name designers. Lighting with candles or electric lights (fairy lights) is commonly done and a tree topper, traditionally either an angel or a star, completes the ensemble.

Silvered saran based tinsel was introduced later, which many have found to be unsatisfactory, since it did not drape well, leading to the demise of tinsel in tree decorating in the United States (it remains popular in many European countries). Baubles are another extremely common decoration, and usually consist of a fairly small hollow glass or plastic sphere coated with a thin metallic layer to make them reflective, and then with a further coating of a thin pigmented polymer in order to provide colouration.

A toy bear Christmas decoration.

Individuals' decorations vary widely, typically being an eclectic mix of family traditions and personal tastes; even a small unattractive ornament, if passed down from a parent or grandparent, may come to carry considerable emotional value and be given a place of pride on the tree. Conversely, trees decorated by professional designers for department stores and other institutions will usually have a "theme"; a set of predominant colours, multiple instances of each type of ornament, and larger decorations that may be more complicated to set up correctly. Some churches decorate with Chrismon trees, which use handmade ornaments depicting various Chrismon symbols.

Many people also decorate outdoor trees with food that birds and other wildlife will enjoy, such as garlands made from unsalted popcorn or cranberries, orange halves, and seed-covered suet cakes.

Tree mats and skirts

A tree of poinsettias in San Diego

Since candles were used to light trees until electric bulbs came about, a mat (UK) or "skirt" (US) was often placed on the floor below the tree to protect it by catching the dripping candle wax, and also to collect any needles that fall. Even when dripless candles, electric lights and artificial trees have been used, a skirt is still usually used as a decorative feature: among other things, it hides the Christmas tree stand, which may be unsightly but which is an important safety feature of home trees. What began as ordinary cloth has now often become much more ornate, some having embroidery or being put together like a quilt.

A nativity scene, model train, or Christmas village may be placed on the mat or skirt. As Christmas presents arrive, they are generally placed underneath the tree on the tree skirt (depending on tradition, all Christmas gifts, or those too large to be hung on the tree, as in "presents on the tree" of the song "I'll Be Home for Christmas").

Generally, the difference between a mat and skirt is simply that a mat is placed under the Christmas tree stand, while a skirt is placed over it, having a hole in the middle for the trunk, with a slot cut to the outside edge so that it can be placed around the tree (beneath the branches) easily. A plain mat of fabric or plastic may also be placed under the stand and skirt to protect the floor from scratches or water.

Christmas tree stand

A Christmas tree stand is an object designed to support a cut, natural Christmas tree or an artificial Christmas tree. Christmas tree stands appeared as early as 1876 and have had various designs over the years. Those stands designed for natural trees have a water reservoir to hydrate the live tree.

Flocking

In the 1940s and 1950s flocking was very popular on the West Coast of the United States. There were home flocking kits that could be used with vacuum cleaners. In the 1980s some trees were sprayed with fluffy white flocking to simulate snow. Typically it would be sprayed all over the tree from the sides, which produced a look different from real snow, which settles in clumps atop branches. Flocking can be done with a professional sprayer at a tree lot (or the manufacturer if it is artificial), or at home from a spray can, and either can be rather messy. This tradition seems to be most popular on the West Coast and Southern parts of the United States.

Because flock contains flame retardants, a flocked tree can be placed in a public building in accordance with local fire codes.

Controversy

The Christmas tree has seen an amount of controversy, mainly involving the secular and non-secular usage of the tree as well as groups who oppose usage of the tree on the grounds of interpretation of scripture and pagan origins and/or pagan character of the custom. There are also those who view it as a Christian symbol.

In 2005, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport removed all of its Christmas trees in the middle of the night rather than allow a rabbi to put up a menorah near the largest tree display.[42] Officials feared that one display would open the door for other religious displays,[42] and, in 2006, they opted to display a grove of birches in Dacron snow rather than religious symbols or Christmas trees.[42]

In 2005, the city of Boston renamed the spruce tree used to decorate the Boston Common a "Holiday Tree" rather than a "Christmas Tree".[43] The name change drew a poor response from the public and was changed back to "Christmas Tree" after being threatened with several lawsuits by Rev. Jerry Falwell and the Alliance Defense Fund. In the same year, Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., asked that the tree that decorates the Capitol grounds to be renamed back to "Christmas tree". It had been renamed "Holiday tree" in the 1990s.[44]

Christianity

Christmas tree in front of Notre Dame in Paris, France.
In Kharkov

Jeremiah 10:1–5 in the Bible says the following (King James Version):

[1] Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
[2] Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
[3] For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
[4] They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
[5] They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

This is interpreted by some fundamentalist Christians as referring to a Christmas tree, and that therefore the Bible would explicitly forbid the practice. However, the more common interpretation is that the passage refers to idol worship, and it is the practice of making an object out of wood, silver, and gold, and then worshiping that idol, which is pagan. Others feel that since "Christmas Trees" are not biblically ordained, they should not be used. Such individuals and Christian denominations are unlikely to celebrate Christmas at all, for the same reason, such as the United Church of God.

Isaiah 55: 13, refers to the evergreen tree as a joyful sign to the Lord in celebration of life everlasting, that shall not be cut off.

Martin Collins from Bibletools.com believes that the origin of the Christmas tree is tied to the ancient myth of Gilgamesh and Horus,[45] which they associate with character Nimrod in the Bible. Interestingly, that association places the origins of the Christmas tree in to a celebration Nimrod as the "Son of Heaven." By associating this symbol with Jesus, many Christians are replacing that pagan symbology with a Christian one by celebrating the Birth of Jesus on December 25 instead of the Birthday of Nimrod.

Some churches however use Christmas trees as decoration at Christmas time. Others use the same stripped Christmas tree as a Christian cross at Easter. See the poem The Dream of the Rood. Both Ezekiel 47:12 and the Book of Revelation 22:2 use trees as a symbol of new fruitful life, compared to the Tree of life denied Adam in Genesis 3:22-23. Paul makes the link between Adam and Christ clear in Romans chapter 5:

Adam is a type of the one who was to come. (v. 14)

In the same way the Christmas tree can be seen as mirroring the tree of life, a symbol or type of the Crucifix which brings redemption.

Syncretising traditions in Northern Spain, the Bilbao airport displays the foreign tree and the Basque Olentzero.

In some Catholic countries, the tree is seen as a recent Protestant or American influence detracting from the Mediterranean traditions of the Christmas crib. However in many Catholic homes, both types of decoration coexist.

Judaism

Jewish parents[who?] in Christian societies may find that their children feel omitted of traditions during the Christmas season.[citation needed] This has led to the increasing importance of the Hannukah celebrations, traditionally less important than other holidays such as Yom Kippur or Passover, because of its rabbinic origins. Children now receive gifts and toys instead of the gelt of Ashkenazi tradition. Some mixed-religion families or those wanting to blend better with their Christian environment will dub their trees "Hannukah bushes". Typically, these trees will incorporate a Jewish motif, with blue colour schemes and ornaments featuring menorahs, dreidels and other typical symbols of Hannukah.

While many Orthodox Jews[who?] see no harm in giving gifts on Hannukah, most[who?] frown upon the "Hannukah bushes" as a Christian influence.[citation needed]

Industry

See also: Christmas tree production

Each year, 33 to 36 million Christmas trees are produced in America, and 50 to 60 million are produced in Europe. In 1998, there were about 15,000 growers in America (a third of them "choose and cut" farms). In that same year, it was estimated that Americans spent $1.5 billion on Christmas trees.[46]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Siefker, Phyllis. Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas, Spanning 50,000 Years (chap. 9, esp. 171-173) (2006) ISBN 0786429585
  2. ^ ISBN 9780313331251, p. 93
  3. ^ Francis Weisler, Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, 1958, p. 81; http://www.scribd.com/doc/3957343/Handbook-of-Christian-Feasts-and-Customs
  4. ^ Francis Weisler, Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, 1958, p. 82-83
  5. ^ Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann reference.
  6. ^ Suzanne Lieurance, Cogwriter quoting Lieurance, Suzanne. The First Christmas Tree Lights. The Junto Society, 2002
  7. ^ a b Marling, Karal Ann. (2000) Merry Christmas! celebrating America's greatest holiday. P.4. p.244. Harvard University Press ISBN 0674003187
  8. ^ Lejeune, Marie Claire. Compendium of symbolic and ritual plants in Europe. p.550. University of Michigan ISBN 9077135049
  9. ^ a b Shoemaker, Alfred Lewis. (1959) Christmas in Pennsylvania: a folk-cultural study. Edition 40. p.52,53. Stackpole Books 1999. ISBN 0811703282
  10. ^ "The History of Christmas". Gareth Marples. Retrieved December 2 2006. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
  11. ^ Professor Brought Christmas Tree to New England
  12. ^ Newcastle City Council Town twinning: Bergen, Norway
  13. ^ "Norwegian Christmas at Union Station: Tree Lighting Ceremony and Concert". Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Norway.org. 25 November 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2008. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Unknown parameter |curly= ignored (help)
  14. ^ a b "Lighting of the National Christmas Tree - History", President's Park - White House, nps.gov, accessed April 5, 2009.
  15. ^ A solstitial date also marked the rebirth of the sun gods Mithras or sol invictus, with whom no tree symbolism was connected.
  16. ^ Customs of the Weeks after Epiphany
  17. ^ Christmas Superstitions, December 2006
  18. ^ US Bureau of Land Management: Christmas tree permits
  19. ^ US National Christmas Tree Association: Statistics
  20. ^ MK Weihnachtsbaumkulturen
  21. ^ a b Forbes, Bruce David. Christmas: A Candid History, (Google Books), University of California Press, 2007, pp. 121-22, (ISBN 0520251040)
  22. ^ a b c d e f Hewitt, pp. 33-36.
  23. ^ a b Perkins, Broderick. "Faux Christmas Tree Crop Yields Special Concerns", Realty Times, December 12, 2003, accessed December 21, 2008.
  24. ^ Silverthorne, Elizabeth. Christmas in Texas, (Google Books), Texas A&M University Press, 1994, p. 62, (ISBN 0890965781).
  25. ^ Marling, Karal Ann. Merry Christmas!: Celebrating America's Greatest Holiday, (Google Books), Harvard University Press, 2000, pp. 58-62, (ISBN 0674003187).
  26. ^ Cole, Peter, et al. Christmas Trees: Fun and Festive Ideas, (Google Books), Chronicle Books, 2002, p. 23, (ISBN 0811835774).
  27. ^ Fortin, Cassandra A. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (1958)", The Baltimore Sun, October 26, 2008, accessed December 21, 2008.
  28. ^ Andrews, Candice Gaukel. Great Wisconsin Winter Weekends, (Google Books), Big Earth Publishing, 2006, p. 178, (ISBN 1931599718)
  29. ^ Berry, Jennifer. Fake Christmas Trees Not So Green", LiveScience.com, December 9, 2008, accessed December 21, 2008.
  30. ^ Neer, Katherine. "How Christmas Trees Work", howstuffworks.com, December 2006, accessed December 21, 2008.
  31. ^ "Table-top Christmas Tree", (Google Books), Popular Mechanics January 1937, p. 117.
  32. ^ "Glass Christmas Tree", Diablo Glass School, one-day course listing, accessed December 21, 2008.
  33. ^ "Demand Grows for Upside Down Christmas Tree", (Audio), National Public Radio, "All Things Considered", November 9, 2005, accessed December 21, 2008.
  34. ^ a b Hayes, Sharon Caskey. "Grower says real Christmas trees are better for environment than artificial ones", Kingsport Times-News (Kingsport, Tennessee), November 26, 2008, accessed December 21, 2008.
  35. ^ "Facts on PVC Used in Artificial Christmas Trees", American Christmas Tree Association, official site, accessed December 21, 2008.
  36. ^ Maas, Richard P. et al. Artificial Christmas trees: how real are the lead exposure risks? (Abstract via PubMed) Journal of Environmental Health, December 2004; 67(5): 20-4, 32, accessed December 21, 2008.
  37. ^ a b Levin, Ronnie, et al. "Lead Exposures in U.S. Children, 2008: Implications for Prevention", Environmental Health Perspective October 2008; 116(10): 1285–1293, accessed December 21, 2008.
  38. ^ a b Ellipsos Inc. "Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Christmas trees, A study ends the debate over which Christmas tree, natural or artificial, is most ecological", December 16, 2008; accessed online September 22, 2009.
  39. ^ Grist environmental commentary: Christmas trees
  40. ^ Engineer Update: Old Christmas trees protect town beach
  41. ^ Biello, David."I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas (Tree)", Scientific American, transcript, podcast, December 4, 2008, accessed December 22, 2008.
  42. ^ a b c "Nativity to be Allowed in Capitol Rotunda: Lawsuit Settlement Calls for Fair Treatment for Christian Beliefs". WorldNetDaily.com, October 23, 2007.
  43. ^ "Boston's "Holiday Tree" Sparks Controversy". TheHarvardCrimson.com. 2005. Retrieved 2008-01-08.
  44. ^ At Christmas, what's in a name?: ABC report, November 2005
  45. ^ Gilgamesh root claim
  46. ^ Chastagner, Gary A. and Benson, D. Michael (2000). "The Christmas Tree". Retrieved 2006-12-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

References

  • Hewitt, James. The Christmas Tree, (Google Books), Lulu.com, 2007, (ISBN 1430308206).
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christmas tree.
Wikisource has the text of the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article Christmas.

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