by TAMMY LOVVORN
A Little History on the Christmas Tree
Excitement fills the air as stores begin transitioning their shelves for Christmas with bows , paper , ornaments , lights and Christmas Trees . Local Christmas Tree farmers are preparing their farms for those wanting to start a tradition of cutting down a family Christmas Tree . Are you going to start a new tradition this year ?
The National Christmas Tree Association ( NCTA ) dates the first written record of a decorated Christmas Tree to 1510 . Local merchants ’ from Riga , Latvia decorated a tree with artificial roses and danced around it in the marketplace . The rose was used for many years and considered to be a symbol for the Virgin Mary . German settlers introduced Americans to the Christmas Tree in the early 1800 ’ s . Trees were initially harvested from the forest and not sold commercially until fifty years later .
In 1901 , W . V . McGalliard planted 25,000 Spruce trees on his farm in New Jersey and hence , the first Christmas Tree farm was started . Today , there are over 350 million Christmas Trees growing on farms across the United States . The most tree producing states are Oregon , North Carolina , Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin and Washington . Alabama ranks in the middle and there is even a local Christmas Tree Farm here . The farm is called Cole ’ s Christmas Tree Farm and is located in Woodland , Alabama .
Christmas Tree farmers plant 1 to 3 seedlings per year for every tree harvested and have to tend to trees for several years before they are ready for your home . On average , it takes seven years to grow a tree to 6 - 7 feet .. some trees it might take up to 15 years to reach the same height . According to NTCA , there are approximately 25-30 million Real Christmas Trees sold in the U . S . every year .
There are many varieties of Christmas Trees … firs , pines , cypress , cedar … artificial ? What is your favorite ? Shopping for a Christmas tree can be a little confusing … here is a few snippets of information about a few of the most popular ones .
First up is the Fraser Fir . This tree is often called the Cadillac of Christmas trees for its strong branches , soft foliage , and pleasant fragrance . This Christmas tree retains is needles and stay fresh
39 SOUTHERN HOLIDAY LIFE 2020