Fresh or fake is a common argument when choosing a tree. People have good reasons for their personal preferences, which are sometimes rooted in the childhood memories of Christmas traditions. If you're on the fresh side of the discussion, Dec. 19 is the day to look for your fresh evergreen if you haven't put up your tree yet.
Christmas tree
A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer such as pine or fir, traditionally associated with the celebration of Christmas. An artificial Christmas tree is an object made to resemble such a tree, usually made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
The tree was traditionally decorated with edibles such as apples, nuts or dates. In the 18th century, it began to be illuminated by candles, which with electrification could also be replaced by Christmas lights. Today, there is a wide variety of traditional ornaments, such as garland, tinsel, and candy canes. An angel or star may be placed at the top of the tree, to represent the host of angels or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity.
The custom of the Christmas tree developed in early modern Germany with predecessors that can be traced to the 16th and possibly the 15th century. It acquired popularity beyond Germany during the second half of the 19th century.[1] The Christmas tree has also been known as the 'Yule-tree', especially in discussions of its folkloristic origins.
The first decorated tree on record was at Riga in Latvia, in 1510. In the early 16th century, Martin Luther is said to have decorated a small Christmas Tree with candles, to show his children how the stars twinkled through the dark night.
In the 16th century, Christmas markets in Germany provided everything from gifts, food and more practical things. At these fairs, bakers made shaped gingerbreads and wax ornaments for people to buy as souvenirs and take home to hang on their Christmas Trees.
In 1846, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, were illustrated in the Illustrated London News. They were standing with their children around a Christmas Tree.
During this time, decorations were still homemade. Young Ladies spent hours at Christmas Crafts, quilling snowflakes and stars, sewing little pouches for secret gifts and paper baskets with sugared almonds in them. Small bead decorations, fine drawn out silver tinsel came from Germany together with beautiful Angels to sit at the top of the tree. Candles were often placed into wooden hoops for safety.
