Interesting Facts About The Christmas Tree

It’s not much time left till Christmas and the bustle has already begun, in stores, on the streets and in every home. At the top of the agenda rests decorating the Christmas tree, one of the traditions that is the most heartfelt, connecting children and adults in the entire world during the Christmas celebrations. The unique smell of the resin intensifies the celebration mood in any home which goes on for about a month. But before hanging the first decorations in the tree, let’s see some interesting facts about the Christmas tree that will make your winter celebrations even more savory.

The first fir tree was decorated in Riga, the Latvian capital, in 1510. The tree was not cut down, but decorated with candles in a garden. The place where the tree once stood is now marked on the pavement in the Latvian capital.

Still, history marks the origin of the Christmas tree tradition as originating in Germany, starting the same 16th century. Most probably, we are already looking at the beginning of a mass tradition. They say Germans started decorating the fir trees just to relax over the hard winters of those times. Germany became the first and the largest Christmas decorations producer and this is where tinsel and the first artificial Christmas tree were invented.

It is the German immigrants who brought the Christmas tree tradition to America early 1800’s. Initially seen as a pagan custom, the tradition was to be gradually assimilated by the American people. The first Christmas tree lights were invented in 1882 by Edward Johnson, Thomas Edison’s assistant. Christmas trees have been sold in the U.S. since 1850.