The Ultimate List of Facts about Christmas
“O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree. How lovely are thy branches.” Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, and the Christmas tree is a huge part of that. What’s Christmas without a Christmas tree? Let’s discover some amazing Christmas tree facts!
Christmas trees are one of the first signs that the festive season is upon us, along with its evergreen smell. You may be surprised to hear that there’s a long history of Christmas trees which began well before the birth of Christ.
There is a lot more to this iconic Christmas tradition and you can read more about the history of Christmas trees here.
So, we hope you enjoy these 22 amazing Christmas tree facts and learn more about this festive tradition.
22 Christmas Tree Facts
History Facts
1. In the 17th and 18th centuries, in Germany, people used to hang their Christmas trees from the ceilings in their homes.
2. Evergreen trees and branches were used to decorate homes well before the birth of Jesus Christ
5. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Albert popularised Christmas trees by bringing the tradition over from Germany.
8. ‘Christmas tree’ was first officially used in English in 1835.
14. Artificial trees began in Germany during the 19th century from Goose feathers which were dyed green.
18. The first decorated Christmas tree to be recorded was in 1510 in Riga, Latvia.
19. Before ornaments and baubles, trees were decorated with edible decorations such as fruits, gingerbread and sweets.
21. Along with edible decorations, gifts used to be placed in the branches rather than under the tree.
20. Christmas ornaments and baubles began to gain popularity in the 1890s.
General Christmas Tree Facts
4. Christmas trees can contain around 30,000 insects and bugs.
11. 98% of all Christmas trees are grown on Christmas tree farms.
6. A well looked after Christmas tree can last up to a month however it needs up to a litre of water a day to stay well-maintained.
15. Artificial Christmas trees are now mostly made from PVC plastic.
16. It takes around 6 to 8 years for a Christmas tree to mature.
17. In a survey of the nation’s favourite smells, real Christmas trees came in eighth place. The smell of the sea was seventh, and perfume was ninth.
9. 77 million Christmas trees are planted each year.
10. You should never burn your Christmas tree in your fireplace as it can lead to creosote build-up.
Around the World Tree Facts
12. The Rockefeller Christmas tree has been a tradition since 1933.
13. The Rockefeller tree has a Swarovski-crystal star placed on top of the tree which first appeared in 2004. This star is nearly 3 metres wide.
3. Since 1947, Trafalgar Square in London has been gifted a tree from Oslo in Norway to show their appreciation for Britain’s assistance during World War II.
7. Pope John Paul II introduced the first tree into Saint Peter’s Square in 1982. Since then different European cities have gifted a tree each year
22. The tallest ever Christmas tree to be cut, a Douglas Fir, was measured at a staggering 67.36 metres (221 feet). It was decorated and placed in the Northgate Shopping Centre in Seattle, USA
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