Christmas Trees – The #1 Christmas Decoration

On Saturday, November 6th, 2010 at 6:55 pm, No Comments »

Throughout the years, perhaps the number one centerpiece that denotes the arrival of Christmas is the Christmas tree. Whether it is purchased at a tree lot where it has already been cut down, a tree farm where you pick one out and have it cut down, out in the countryside where you cut it down yourself or a store bought artificial tree, people the world over choose to erect a Christmas tree in their homes as the ultimate Christmas decoration.

Nowadays, with the emphasis placed on preserving the Earth, many have forsaken the traditional living tree that is first cut down and then placed in a tree stand for either an artificial tree or a living tree that is then planted outside in the ground after Christmas is over. Some artificial trees are so realistic it is difficult to tell from a distance whether they are real or not. Others, such as the modern fibre optic Christmas trees, are more apparent that they are man-made.

As is to be expected, every Christmas tree requires Christmas tree decorations, right? Whether your preference for Christmas accessories lies with balls or tinsel you would be hard pressed not to find something that satisfies your needs found in the wide ranging selection of options available to us today.

The historical act of decorating Christmas trees dates back to the early sixteenth Century in Europe. It appears that the tradition was brought over to the United Kingdom by the Georgian Kings who came from Germany, although Christmas trees did not become popular until the Victorian age when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were pictured with their children standing around their tree. From there, the tradition soon spread around the world.

There was a time when the decorating of the tree consisted of homemade decorations fashioned and applied to the tree by family members. Some of that practice is still done today; however, the commercialization of decorating the tree has virtually taken over.
Nowadays all manner of trinkets and baubles are available in every conceivable color, along with an incredible array of lighting choices.

Christmas trees of old were adorned with candles. This was a very dangerous practice that often resulted in the tree catching fire if not properly attended to. Today we have Christmas tree lights with which we illuminate our trees.

These may be anything from simple strings of white lights to a selection of multi colored bulbs. Some lights flash and some simply give off a consistent glow. Once again the choice is huge. The fact is, lighting during the Christmas season is no longer limited to the Christmas tree. There are even lights that are connected to a sound system and react with the music by fluctuating in their light, emitting a variable glow determined by the music.

Some people choose to use lights to adorn other parts of their house as well. They thread them through banisters, on staircases or position them around mirrors or pictures. Christmas lights do create quite the pleasing atmosphere and can make even the starkest of surroundings inviting.

Real or artificial, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without the Christmas tree.