The History of the Christmas Tree
The larger the tree, the more decorations were required. Before 1850, they were generally homemade, but during the mid-19th century, business in ornaments skyrocketed. The first commercial ornaments were glass icicles and balls, arriving from Germany in the 1850's. Soon almost anything could be made into miniature and hung from a tree; wax cherubs, brass musical instruments, cardboard cutouts of animals, paper flowers, cornucopias, and tiny silk pillows with uplifting mottoes embroidered upon them.
In 1878 silver tinsel was invented, using a centuries old French process formerly used for putting glitter on military uniforms. By the 1920's, tinsel was made exclusively from lead. It was cheaper and hung straighter (lead tinsel was banned in the 1960's; tinsel is now made of plastic). Trees were often disastrously lit with candles, often with colourful glass lanterns, but as soon as technology allowed, the first electric christmas tree appeared. In 1882, Thomas Edison's lab assistants strung a tree with hand-blown light bulbs.
It was also about this time that the first artificial trees were introduced. In 1885 a thirty-three limb tree could be mail ordered from Sears, Roebuck, and Company for the price of 50 cents. Times have changed. Artificial trees are much more expensive now, but there's actually a lot more at stake than your bank account.
If a real tree was preferred, the balsam fir was still available and most popular. It retained its lead until the depression of the 1930's, when it was overtaken by the scots pine. Nowadays it is the tree most commonly cultivated in Christmas tree plantations in easten North America.
The scots pine briefly lost the lead in the 1960's to the Douglas Fir, which is now the most popular tree only in the west, which makes up a very small portion of the total market. In California, the Monterey pine is most popular. In the deep south, the white pine is most prevalent, while New England, which now allows Christmas trees, largely uses Balsam Fir, white fir or white spruce.
Christmas Tree Links
The National Christmas Tree Association
What makes each variety special, and what to look for in selecting a Christmas Tree.
Sacred Celtic Trees and Woods
Learn about the Celt's spiritual beleifs about particular trees and their properties.
More Antique Christmas Lights
Everything on this site is for sale. Each of the current samples runs about 9cm high, much larger than what we
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