Christmas Trees

Fun Facts About Christmas Trees

• The tradition of decorated Christmas trees began in Germany in the 16th century, evolving from pagan winter customs and Christian symbolism. Early versions were adorned with apples, nuts, dates, and pretzels, alongside candles and paper flowers.
• Before firs became standard, people in the 19th century sometimes used cherry or hawthorn branches, or even dyed goose feathers attached to wires, as their main Christmas decoration.
• President Pierce brought the first decorated Christmas tree into the White House in the 1850s, but it did not become a consistent fixture until President Harrison in 1889.
• The reigning champion for White House Christmas trees, chosen over a dozen times, is the North Carolina Fraser fir. Its excellent needle retention, strong branches for ornaments, and great aroma help make it the top choice.
• The top three Christmas tree types sold in the U.S. are the Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir, and Noble Fir. These are followed by Balsam Fir, Scotch Pine, White Pine, and Virginia Pine.
• About 25–30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. each year. But since growers typically plant 2–3 seedings for every harvested tree, they are a renewable resource — there are nearly 350 million Christmas trees growing on farms across all 50 states (plus Canada).
• The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was a modest 20-foot balsam fir erected during the Great Depression in 1931. Construction workers pooled money for the simple tree, decorating it with handmade paper garlands, strings of cranberries, tin cans, and foil wrappers from blasting caps.
• The tallest Christmas trees ever displayed was a 212-foot Douglas fir in Seattle in 1950. It weighed around 50,000 pounds and was displayed at the Northgate Mall.