When did they start putting lights on Christmas trees?
In the 1960’s silver aluminum pine trees were vogue and brought the Artificial Christmas tree into prominence in America. The manufactures installed a revolving light under the tree that was able to change colors and create different reflections off of the tree.
When did the Christmas tree become popular in America?
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 trees to reach from floor to ceiling.
When did they start putting flocking on Christmas trees?
Flocked trees, real or artificial, to which flocking was applied became fashionable for the wealthy during the 1930s and have been commercially available since. A 1937 issue of Popular Science advocated spraying aluminum paint using an insect spray gun to coat Christmas trees causing it to appear as if "fashioned of molten silver".
What is the origin of the Christmas tree?
Christians of the time began decorating with lit candles, glass kugels, and sparkly tinsel. The Christmas tree didn't become a popular tradition in the United States until the mid 1850s when German settlers brought their traditionof decorating a tree for the holidays with them to their new homes.
Did they have aluminum Christmas trees in the 60s?
Aluminum Christmas trees were all the rage in the late 1950s and 1960s. They may seem silly now, but at the time they were a smash hit. The Aluminum Specialty Company of Wisconsin made millions of Christmas trees for Americans, and we think it's time they returned to add some extra sparkle to our living rooms.
Does anyone still make aluminum Christmas trees?
Alas, within the past decade there was a company out of North Dakota that sold wonderful looking aluminum Christmas trees, but it dropped out of site a few years ago. Right now (holiday 2019), the only aluminum tree I can find made new is on Amazon (shown below in the selling widget).
Are old aluminum Christmas trees worth anything?
As you can see from the lists below, aluminum trees can run anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to more than a thousand.
Who invented the silver Christmas tree?
Aluminum Specialty Co.It was created and manufactured 60 years ago by Aluminum Specialty Co., right here in Manitowoc, which sits on the shore of Lake Michigan about 80 miles north of Milwaukee.
When did aluminum Christmas trees become popular?
An aluminum Christmas tree is a type of artificial Christmas tree that was popular in the United States from 1958 until about the mid-1960s. As its name suggests, the tree is made of aluminum, featuring foil needles and illumination from below via a rotating color wheel.
How do you store vintage aluminum Christmas trees?
Make sure the tree comes with paper sleeves to protect the branches during the rest of the year when it's disassembled and packed up in storage. The cost of a full-size vintage aluminum tree can range anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars.
Can you put Christmas lights on an aluminum tree?
-Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
How do you make a pom pom Christmas tree?
0:051:53How to Make a Pom Pom Christmas Tree with Yarn - DIY TutorialYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThen cut the loops with scissors. And shake the pom pom a bit trim it so it's nice and even aroundMoreThen cut the loops with scissors. And shake the pom pom a bit trim it so it's nice and even around for my tree i make 25 2 inch pom-poms. Next take your cone and glue each pom-pom to the foam.
Why did they stop making aluminum Christmas trees?
The aluminum tree market collapsed. Sales plummeted, and, in 1970, the Aluminum Specialty Company discontinued its production of aluminum Christmas trees. Close to a million were produced, but, in the end, most of them ended up in trash cans and flea markets.
Are aluminum Christmas trees toxic?
On their own, artificial aluminum trees don't pose any threats, but some early adopters of the all-metal trees were in for a shock when they ignored warnings not to add electric string lights.
What is a Charlie Brown Christmas tree?
Noun. Charlie Brown tree (plural Charlie Brown trees) A Christmas tree considered unattractive and undesirable by normal standards, often small and sparse.
How did slaves celebrate Christmas?
On Christmas day, "it was always customary in those days to catch peoples Christmas gifts and they would give you something." Slaves and children would lie in wait for those with the means to provide presents and capture them, crying 'Christmas gift' and refusing to release their prisoners until they received a gift in ...
Is Christmas tree in the Bible?
Deuteronomy 16:21 says: Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee. Although this verse doesn't speak directly to christmas trees, it does make a point to mention trees near the altar of the lord.
Where is the Rockefeller tree from?
Yearly tree detailsYearOriginal locationTree type2016Oneonta, New YorkNorway spruce2017State College, PennsylvaniaNorway spruce2018Wallkill, New YorkNorway spruce2019Florida, New York83 more rows
What does the Christmas tree represent in the Bible?
"That became a symbol of Christ — being triangular in shape it represents the trinity — and from there came the idea that the tree should be a symbol of Christ and new life," Dr Wilson said. "That's one of the main origins of the Christmas tree and bringing it into the house."
Who Brought Christmas Trees to America?
Most 19th-century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania, although trees had been a tradition in many German homes much earlier. The Pennsylvania German settlements had community trees as early as 1747. But, as late as the 1840s Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Americans.
Why did Martin Luther cut down a fir tree?
He wanted to share the beauty with his wife, so he cut down a fir tree and took it home. Once inside, he placed small, lighted candles on the branches and said that it would be a symbol of the beautiful Christmas sky. The Christmas tree was born.
How tall is the tallest Christmas tree in the world?
The tallest living Christmas tree is believed to be the 122-foot, 91-year-old Douglas fir in the town of Woodinville, Washington.
Why was Christmas so late?
It is not surprising that, like many other festive Christmas customs, the tree was adopted so late in America. To the New England Puritans, Christmas was sacred. The pilgrims’s second governor , William Bradford, wrote that he tried hard to stamp out “pagan mockery” of the observance, penalizing any frivolity.
What is the tallest tree in Rockefeller Center?
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree dates back to the Depression era. The tallest tree displayed at Rockefeller Center arrived in 1948. It was a Norway Spruce that measured 100 feet tall and hailed from Killingworth, Connecticut.
How long does it take for a Christmas tree to grow?
Christmas trees generally take six to eight years to mature. Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states including Hawaii and Alaska. 98 percent of all Christmas trees are grown on farms. More than 1,000,000 acres of land have been planted with Christmas trees.
Why are Christmas trees so popular in Guatemala?
The Christmas tree has joined the “Nacimiento” (Nativity scene) as a popular ornament because of the large German population in Guatemala. Gifts are left under the tree on Christmas morning for the children. Parents and adults do not exchange gifts until New Year’s Day.
What was the most popular item in the 50s?
Credit: Debrocke / ClassicStock / Getty Images. Tinsel was at its most popular in the '50s. Unlike silver, lead tinsel did not tarnish and retained its shine. Trees were decorated with hard plastic ornaments, candy containers, and illuminated figures.
What were the decorations people used to hang in the pantries during the Great Depression?
Originally, people would hang handmade ornaments crafted with tinsel, fabric, thread, and other no tions. In the midst of the Great Depression, people turned to their pantries for edible decorations: popcorn balls and cranberry garlands were all derived from old European tradition.
What are some of the things that are adorned with string lights?
Traditionally, they were adorned with homemade ornaments or edible treats like marzipan cookies, fruits, and shelled nuts. Colorfully dyed popcorn kernels were also strung into a garland. With the advent of electricity, artificial string lights soon became popular and commonplace in most homes.
What was the Christmas style of the 80s?
The arts and crafts movement of the '80s made for an eclectic style during the holidays. Family Christmas trees were oftentimes decorated with mismatched ornaments—plastic, tinsel, and glass all combined.
What is mod style?
Mod style was in full force—plastic bells, pinecone figurines, and tinsel, which people would drape its sparkly lengths delicately from the ends of branches to create a waterfall effect. Artificial trees, some of them flocked in white, started to become popular in many households. (Fun fact: The Aluminum Specialty Company based in Wisconsin, manufactured more than one million aluminum trees between 1959 and 1969.)
What animals were on the boughs of the Christmas tree?
The boughs were covered with feathers from geese, turkeys, ostriches, and swans. It was also common, given the lavish time period, to trim the Christmas tree with lots of decorations like ribbons, satin balls, and glittered stars.
What is the magic of Christmas?
Some would say that the true magic of Christmas can be found in your family's Christmas tree: After all, a trimmed tree builds as many memories as the gifts that can be found underneath it. Evergreens have a long and storied history of being decorated throughout the world. In fact, the ancient Egyptians and Romans once decorated ...
What was the tree of knowledge in 1419?
In “Paradise Plays” that were performed to celebrate the feast day of Adam and Eve, which fell on Christmas Eve, a tree of knowledge was represented by an evergreen fir with apples tied to its branches.
Why do trees hang upside down?
Boniface legend say he cut down the new fir tree and hung it upside down, which is believed to have led to the tradition of trees being hung upside down to represent the Holy Trinity — sometimes with an apple wedged at the point instead of a star. All of these stories may have helped the Christmas tradition spread.
Where was the first Christmas tree sold?
The oldest Christmas tree market is thought to have been located just over the southwestern German border in Strasbourg in Alsace (which was back then part of the Rhineland, now in present-day France), where unadorned Christmas trees were sold during the 17th century as Weihnachtsbaum, German for Christmas tree. Flanders says the “first decorated indoor tree” was recorded in 1605, in Strasbourg, decorated with roses, apples, wafers and other sweets, according to her research.
Why are trees so hard to grow?
The reasons for this ratio are many. Climate change has made trees more difficult to grow. Farmers planted fewer trees during the Great Recession, and in general, trees take 7 to 10 years to grow. And there are even shortages of the farmers who grow them, as they age out of the business.
When was the first indoor Christmas tree made?
Flanders says the “first decorated indoor tree” was recorded in 1605, in Strasbourg, decorated with roses, apples, wafers and other sweets, according to her research. Demand for Christmas trees was so high in the 15th century that laws were passed in Strasbourg cracking down on people cutting pine branches.
When did Christmas trees become popular?
References to Christmas trees in private homes or establishments in North America date back to the late 18th century and early 19th century. Flanders mentions a reference to a pine tree in North Carolina in 1786. In 1805, a school for American Indians run by Moravian missionaries sent students “to fetch ...
When will the Christmas tree be in New York City?
5, 2019, in New York City. M any people who celebrate Christmas have already decorated their own evergreens this year, but there’s a new layer of meaning to the demand for Christmas trees in 2020.
Why did Theodore Roosevelt stop Christmas trees?
Also in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt tried to stop the practice of having Christmas Trees out of concern about the destruction of forests. His two sons didn’t agree and enlisted the help of conservationist Gifford Pinchot to persuade the president that, done properly, the practice was not harmful to the forests.
Why did evergreens become decimated?
1900s – Due to overharvesting, the natural supply of evergreens began to be decimated. Conservationists became alarmed, and many magazines began to encourage people to substitute an artificial “snow” covered tree, consisting of a branch of a deciduous tree wrapped in cotton.
What were evergreen tips called?
Edible ornaments became so popular on Christmas Trees that they were often called “sugartrees.”.
What is the symbol of the Virgin Mary?
Men of the local merchants’ guild decorated a tree with artificial roses, danced around it in the marketplace and then set fire to it. The rose was used for many year and is considered to be a symbol for the Virgin Mary.
When did Germany start using apples for Christmas?
1600s – By the 17th century, it was common in Germany to decorate Christmas Trees with apples. This practice was a holdover from the 14th and 15th centuries when evergreen boughs hung with apples were the only prop used in the “miracle plays” that were performed at the churches on December 24.
Where is the Rocks Christmas Tree Farm?
Timeline provided by The Rocks Christmas Tree Farm, Bethlehem, NH.
When were Christmas trees introduced?
1800s – The Christmas Tree was introduced in the United States by German settlers. It rapidly grew from tabletop size to floor-to-ceiling. 1851 – Christmas Trees began to be sold commercially in the United States. They were taken at random from the forests.
What is the significance of Christmas trees?
The Christmas Tree is one of the prominent symbols throughout history that marks the time that Christmas season has arrived. Families for centuries have wandered out into the woods in the dead cold of winter to find that perfect Fir or Spruce to brighten up their living room for the holiday season. In modern times Christmas Tree lots pop up in cities and towns across America and Europe signaling the start of the season. Families have also adopted buying Artificial Christmas Trees that can last them years and years instead of cutting down a live tree.
When did the Christmas tree come to America?
America dates the arrival of the Christmas Tree to German settlements in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. In America settlers used Douglas Firs and Virginia Pines to decorate their living rooms. In 1847 August Imgard in Wooster Ohio decorated a blue spruce with candy canes and every year a tree is erected above his grave honoring his vision for using candy canes as tree decorations.
When did artificial Christmas trees become popular?
In the 1960’s silver aluminum pine trees were vogue and brought the Artificial Christmas tree into prominence in America. The manufactures installed a revolving light under the tree that was able to change colors and create different reflections off of the tree. These trees led to the mass production of all types of artificial pine and spruce trees in the late 1900’s and 2000’s. These artificial trees have gained in popularity as families can erect a 10 foot fake tree in their living room without a single dropped needle on the floor. And if they miss the real smell of the tree, manufacturers sell pine scented sprays to add to the ambiance.
When was Christmas first celebrated?
While we can date the celebration of Christmas as early as 800 A.D. the prominence of the Christmas tree being used as a symbol of the holiday isn’t found until the 12th century when people in Europe hung Fir Trees upside down marking the holiday season. In the early 16th century Martin Luther is credited with decorating the first Christmas tree with candles. It is said he did this to show his children how stars twinkled through the dark night. In the 16th Century Germany was the first country to open Christmas markets where gifts, wreaths, trees and food were sold to the masses.
When is Christmas Day?
For most countries, December 25th, Christmas Day marks the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Celebrating Christmas came into prominence slowly after Charlemagne was crowned king on Christmas Day in 800 A.D. Christmas in the middle ages saw the birth of the 12 days of Christmas and the origin of public festivals where people incorporated ivy, holy, and gift giving as part of the rituals of Christmas.
What was the first artificial Christmas tree?
Aluminum trees have been said to be the first artificial Christmas trees that were not green in color. It is more accurate to say that aluminum Christmas trees were the first nongreen Christmas trees commercially successful on a grand scale.
Why is the aluminum Christmas tree used?
The aluminum Christmas tree was used as a symbol of the over- commercialization of Christmas in the 1965 Peanuts holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. The program is considered a classic amongst Christmas specials, and its mention of the aluminum tree solidified the tree's legendary status while satirizing it as well. In the special, Lucy van Pelt implored Charlie Brown to get a "big, shiny aluminum tree...maybe painted pink" for the group's nativity play. Charlie Brown lamented the commercialization of Christmas and, in a lot surrounded by many huge aluminum trees (much larger than most aluminum trees of the era), purchased a small, scrawny natural tree on a whim instead.
How long does it take to make an aluminum Christmas tree?
The foil branches had woven aluminum "needles" as well. Each tree took about 15 minutes to assemble.
How much did an aluminum Christmas tree cost in 1989?
By 1989, it was not uncommon to find aluminum Christmas trees for sale in yard sales or at estate sales being sold for as little as 25 cents. In recent years the aluminum Christmas tree has seen a re-emergence in popularity. Collectors began buying and selling the trees, especially on online auction web sites. A rare 7-foot-tall pink aluminum Christmas tree sold on the Internet for $3,600 in 2005.
What happened to cotton after Christmas?
After Christmas, the cotton was unwrapped and stored with the ornaments for the next year while the branches were burnt or otherwise discarded. Flocked trees, real or artificial, to which flocking was applied became fashionable for the wealthy during the 1930s and have been commercially available since.
When did Charlie Brown stop selling aluminum trees?
The airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965 has been credited with ending the era of the aluminum tree, and by 1967 their time had almost completely passed. At the height of the aluminum tree's popularity, the trees were sold in the Sears catalog.
Can aluminum trees be lit?
The first aluminum trees could not be illuminated in the manner traditional for natural Christmas trees or other artificial trees. Fire safety concerns prevented lights from being strung through the tree's branches; draping electric lights through an aluminum tree could cause a short circuit.
Did you know?
The Christmas tree tradition started in Germany when devout Christians decorated their homes with wooden pyramids fitted with candles and evergreens. In cases where wood wasn’t used, decorated trees were brought into homes.
Choosing A Tree Size
When you’re choosing the tree size, you’ll want to consider something between 4 feet and 5.5 feet in height. There are also tabletop options available if you really find yourself short on space or have low ceiling heights like you would typically find in apartments.
The Shape of the Christmas Tree
When choosing the shape of your silver Christmas tree, you also have to consider the tree’s overall size. You can typically find three different profiles for Christmas trees: pencil, slim, and full style trees. The more popular shape is the full shape and has a more traditional profile.
The Foliage
Another aspect to when you’re looking for a silver Christmas tree is the type of foliage used when it was created. If you want a tree that looks like it was plucked straight from a Christmas tree farm, then you want to consider PE needles.
Lighting Options
Next, you want to consider your lighting options. Traditional or incandescent lights are often clear or multicolored. However, you can also find LED lights. These lights prove to be energy savers and allow you to easily switch between clear lights and multicolored lights when the mood strikes.
The Cost of the Christmas Tree
You don’t want to skimp when it comes to the quality of your new silver Christmas tree. Don’t be afraid to spend a little more to get everything you want. Remember, this isn’t a one-time use Christmas tree option. It is a tree you can reuse for several years as long as it is taken care of.
What Other Buyers Ask
Still have questions when it comes to choosing the best silver Christmas tree for your home? Read on below for answers to some of the more commonly asked questions.
