The
Tree
Used As
A Symbol
Of Life Is A
Tradition Older
Than Christianity
Itself. The Egyptians
Brought Green Palm Branches
Into Their Homes On The Shortest
Day Of The Year In December As A
Symbol Of Life's Triumph Over Death.
The Romans Would
Adorn Their Homes With
Evergreens During Saturnalia
Which Was Their Winter Festival To
Honor Saturnus, Their God Of Agriculture
The Druid Priests Decorated Oak Trees With
Golden Apples For Their Winter Solstice Festivities.
During The Middle Ages The
Paradise Tree An Evergreen Hung With
Red Apples, Was The Considered The Symbol Of
The Feast Of Adam And Eve And Was Held On December 24th.
The First Recorded Reference
To The Christmas Tree Dates Back
To The Sixteenth Century In Strasbourg
Germany Which Is Now Part Of France. Families
Both Rich And Poor Decorated Fir Trees With A Variety
A Variety Of Colored Papers, Fruits And Sweets.
As The Tradition Spread Through out All Of Europe
It Was Then Brought To The United States by German Settlers
And Hessian Mercenaries Who Were Paid To Fight In The Revolutionary War.
In 1804 United State Soldiers Stationed At Fort Dearborn (Now Chicago) Hauled Trees
From The Surounding Wooded Areas Back Their Barracks At Christmas Time.
The Popularity Of The Christmas Tree Proliferated When Charles Minnegrode
Introduced The Custom Of Decorating Trees In Williamsburg, Virginia In The Year 1842.
In 1851 Mark Carr Hauled Two Ox Sleds Loaded With Trees From The Catskills To The Streets Of
New York And Opened The First Retail Christmas Tree Lot In The United States.
Franklin Pierce The 14th President Of The United States Brought The Christmas Tree Tradition To The ffcc00 House. In 1923 It Was President Calvin Coolidge Who Started The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Which Is Now Held Every Year On The White House Lawn.
Since 1966 Members Of The National Christmas Tree Association
Have Presented A Fresh Christmas Tree To The President And His Family
The tree is displayed
Each year in the Blue
Room of the White House.
  
The information provided on this website is done so as a courtesy. Prior to visiting any Christmas Tree Farm or Lot it is your responsiblitly to call ahead or check their websites for changes in openings, closures, COVID 19 policy, and general tree information.
|