The History of the Christmas Tree
It’s the perfect time of year for your trees to be pruned so that they can enter the New Year with a fresh haircut. We recommend giving us a call or requesting an estimate so that one of our ISA Certified Arborists can assess the job and give you an estimate for tree pruning or removal.
Along with remembering your annual tree maintenance, it is also a festive time of year — Christmas — our favorite holiday where a tree is featured prominently. Christmas is a very special season and putting up a Christmas tree, hanging decorations, and shopping for presents are all a part of what makes it a joyous time. As we approach the day, we wanted to share how Christmas trees became a holiday tradition.
The origin of the Christmas tree dates back to Germany in 1419 when a guild in Freiburg put up an Evergreen tree decorated with apples, wafers, tinsel, and gingerbread. It is said that Martin Luther was, reportedly, the first person to hang lighted candles on a tree. Although the tradition of Christmas trees began in the 15th century, it wasn’t popular in America until the late 19th/early 20th century. At Donegan’s we find it fascinating how much the Christmas tree tradition has changed throughout the years. What started out as a small tree with minimal decorations has transformed into the big trees with countless ornaments and lights that many people have in their homes today.
Although the Christmas trees looked very different in the past, there was one tree in 1848 that resembled the ones that we have today. This Christmas tree was first seen published in the London News about Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and their children and paved the way for many iconic trees to follow.
A prominent tree in our collective history is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. In December 1931, after the stock-market crash of 1929, a group of construction workers pooled their money together and bought a 20-foot-high Balsam fir tree which they placed on the site of Rockefeller Center, where construction was just beginning. This action — and tree — ended up serving as a symbol of hope and optimism to people during the Great Depression. The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is a true beauty with all the lights turned on and is definitely worth a visit if you are ever in New York City during the holidays.
While many American households are choosing to go the artificial route when it comes to Christmas trees these days, we think it is still important to take in the natural beauties of the world. Hopefully learning more about the Christmas tree tradition has put us all in the holiday spirit and ensured we are ready to celebrate. At Donegan’s Tree Service we are grateful to all of our clients and wish everyone a Merry Christmas!