* Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition in the sixteenth century.
* In 1841, England's Prince Albert decorating the first English Christmas tree at Windsor castle with candles and a variety of sweets, fruits and gingerbread.
* Charles Dickens described an 1850 Christmas Tree as being covered with dolls, miniature furniture, tiny musical instruments, costume jewelry, toy guns and swords, fruit and candy.
* The first record of a Christmas Tree being on display in America was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania.
* By the 1890s, Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S. It was noted that Europeans used small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas to reach
from floor to ceiling.
* The early twentieth century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with homemade ornaments. Popcorn was used after being dyed bright colors and interlaced with berries and nuts.
* Electricity brought about Christmas lights making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end. With this, Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across the country.
* In Poland, Christmas trees tops were always angels, peacocks and other birds as well as many, many stars.
* In Sweden, trees are decorated with brightly painted wooden ornaments and straw figures of animals and children.
* In Denmark, tiny Danish flags along with mobiles of bells, stars, snowflakes and hearts are hung on Christmas trees.
* Lithuanians cover their trees with straw birdcages, stars and geometric shapes. The straw sends a wish for good crops in the coming year.
* Czechoslovakian trees display ornaments made from painted eggshells.
* A Ukrainian Christmas tree has a spider and web for good luck. Legend has it that once a poor woman with nothing to put on her children's tree woke on Christmas and a spider had spun a web covering her tree that glistened silver in the sunlight.
No comments:
Post a Comment