Berthoud Weekly Surveyor
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branches of larger trees.) As the legend goes, Luther was so taken by the scene that he hurried home, set up a fir tree in his home, and fixed small candles to the branches in order to share the experience with his family. The Christmas tree tradition was probably introduced to this country with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and Ohio in the 1700s. However, the custom did not take hold immediately with Americans. The Puritans had banned Christmas celebrations in New England — it was to be a sacred day. William Bradford, second governor of the pilgrims, stated he tried hard to stamp out “pagan mockery” of Christmas and would penalize any frivolity. Oliver Cromwell preached against “the heathen traditions” of Christmas carols, decorated trees, and “any joyful expression that desecrated that sacred event.” To top it off, in 1659 the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any observance of Dec. 25, other than a solemn church service, a penal offense; people were fined for hanging decorations. Even as late as 1851 a Cleveland minister nearly lost his job because he allowed a Christmas tree in his church. Schools in Boston stayed open on Christmas Day through 1870 and were known to expel students who stayed home. It is small wonder that Americans, at first, found Christmas trees odd. The first recorded instance of a public Christmas tree was in the 1830s, put up by settlers in Pennsylvania, although decorated trees had been traditional in the homes of German immigrants much earlier, and Pennsylvania German settlements had community trees as early as 1750. However, as late as the 1840s Christmas trees were viewed as pagan symbols and shunned by most Americans. The turning point came in 1846 when the British Royal family, members of which had German roots, was pictured in a drawing around a Christmas tree. British subjects took note of this, as did the fashion-conscious East Coast American Society. In order to remain fashionable the Christmas tree would soon find a place in the homes of the blue-bloods of American society. By the 1890s hand-crafted ornaments were arriving from Germany. The Christmas tree had arrived and its popularity was growing. It is worth noting that while Europeans preferred smaller trees, up to about four feet in height, Americans liked their trees to reach the ceiling. By 1900 one in five American households had a Christmas tree and, 20 years later, the custom was nearly universal. As the 20th century began, many Americans were decorating their trees with homemade ornaments, while those of German descent used apples, nuts, marzipan candies and cookies. Popcorn that had been dyed bright colors and strung together with nuts and berries soon became popular as well. Small candles, held on the ends of branches with small metal clips were also used. As a result, house fires were quite common during the holiday season. Electricity brought Christmas lights, which proved to be a much safer way to light the tree. It is said that Thomas Edison’s assistants were the first people to place a string of lights on a tree. Lighted Christmas trees began appearing in town squares and parks across the country, and having a tree decorated with lights in the home became a tradition in America. The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was placed in 1931. It was a small tree without decoration, which was placed at the center of the construction site by workers. Two years
Celebrating Christmas in Berthoud • 2012 later a larger tree was placed there, this time with lights. The tallest tree to be placed at Rockefeller Center came in 1948. It was a Norway spruce from Connecticut that measured 100 feet tall. Today the tree placed at Rockefeller Center is lit with over 25,000 lights. Decorating the Christmas tree, “decking the halls” with greenery, maybe even hanging a sprig of mistletoe to provoke a kiss, all seems so natural to us now. However, getting the tradition to take hold was not easy, even though it has roots in the very distant past. Here is some Christmas tree trivia which may be of interest. Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the U.S. since about 1850. Between 1887 and 1933 a fishing schooner called the Christmas Ship would tie up at the Clark Street Bridge and sell spruce trees from Michigan to Chicagoans. The tallest living Christmas tree is believed to be the 122foot, 91-year-old Douglas fir in the town of Woodinville, Wash. Franklin Pierce, the 14th president, brought the Christmas tree tradition to the White House. Teddy Roosevelt banned the Christmas tree from the White House for environmental reasons. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony now held every year on the White House lawn. In 1963, the National Christmas Tree was not lit until Dec. 22 because of a national 30-day period of mourning following the assassination of President Kennedy. Since 1966, the National Christmas Tree Association has given a Christmas tree to the president and first family. In 1979, the National Christmas Tree was not lighted except for the top ornament. This was done in honor of the American hostages in Iran. In 1984, the National Christmas Tree was lit on Dec. 13 with temperatures in the 70s, making it one of the warmest tree lightings in history. Most Christmas trees are cut weeks before they get to a retail outlet. In 1912, the first community Christmas tree in the United States was erected in New York City. Christmas trees generally take six to eight years to mature. Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states, including Hawaii and Alaska, and 98 percent of all Christmas trees are grown on tree farms. More than one million acres of land have been planted to Christmas trees, and 77 million trees are planted each year, with 34 to 36 million Christmas trees being produced each year. More than 100,000 people are employed in the Christmas tree industry. It is not recommended to burn a Christmas tree in the fireplace. It can contribute to creosote buildup. Other types of trees, such as cherry and hawthorn, were used as Christmas trees in the past. In the first week, a tree in your home will consume as much as a quart of water per day. California, Oregon, Michigan, Washington, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North Carolina are the top Christmas tree producing states. The best selling trees are Scotch pine, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Balsam fir, and white pine.