It’s hard to believe that the Christmas tree hasn’t always been a tradition. The warm glow of the lights and glisten of tinsel is all part of the holidays. 
Christmas trees are big business and in Great Britain alone at least 8 million are consumed each year.
Our beloved Christmas trees only became popular in Britain and America around 1848. Queen Victoria was pictured standing in front of one and with that the tree became popular. Windsor castle only had a tree because Prince Albert was German and Germany were first to adopt the tradition.
The German settlers in America did attempt to bring the tree over to the USA however it didn’t catch on. The Christmas tree was seen as a pagan symbol and so it wasn’t accepted to have this in your home. Funny to think that now in modern day America some of the most spectacular trees are on display at Christmas.
Once electricity was discovered our trees lit up. With this new technology we were able to have trees on display in town halls and light up our holidays for longer.
The natural tree is still more popular than the artificial one and so for every one we harvest another three are planted. The average Christmas tree is 15 years old when it’s standing in our living room so it’s vital we continue to replant these beautiful trees.
Whether you are picking a small or tall tree this year you now know some of its history. It hasn’t always bought us light and it hasn’t always been liked. However it has now become part of Christmas and this holiday would not be the same without it. When picking your tree this year you can take comfort knowing its sole purpose was to shine for you this Christmas.