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Oh, Christmas Tree
The specific origin of the Christmas tree tradition is lost in the past, but it is believed to have originated when old-world pagan rituals involving evergreen boughs were merged with Christian celebrations and beliefs.
Germans were the first people to use Christmas trees as a regular Christmas tradition, but by 1700 the custom had spread over most of Europe.
American settlers brought the Christmas tree tradition with them to this country. They decorated wild trees cut from the surrounding forest. In the Northeast, firs and spruces were chosen and these became the traditional Christmas trees in that part of the country.
Southerners chose the Eastern redcedar as their traditional Christmas tree, and part of the festivities each year included the family excursion to the woods to bring home the Christmas cedar.
Today most Americans buy their Christmas trees, and growing and selling them is big business. Each year some 40 million trees are sent to market in the United States.
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| Scotch pine, a European native and balsam fir, both grown in the northern states, and Douglas fir, grown in the Pacific Northwest account for 75 percent of the trees purchased in America. Scotch pine is the overall American favorite. |
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In Georgia the traditional Eastern redcedar with its prickly boughs is often passed up in favor of other trees now readily available. Eastern white pine and Virginia pine, both grown on Georgia Christmas tree farms are preferred by many for their attractive appearance, soft needles, and affordable price. The Christmas tree farm operator shears these trees yearly to give them that Christmas tree shape. A green dye is applied before harvest to give the needles a darker, more even color.
Leyland cypress is becoming another popular substitute for eastern red cedar. It has the look of red cedar but not the prickly foliage. Georgia growers are planting this tree more because it grows much faster than Eastern white and Virginia pines and requires minimal shearing.
Selecting a good fresh Christmas tree that will hold its needles can be difficult, and knowing how to test a tree for freshness can be |
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useful. A fresh balsam fir, fraser fir or Douglas fir needle will snap cleanly when bent between your fingers. If it bends without snapping then the tree is not fresh and will lose its needles quickly no matter how much water you give it at home.
The freshness test works just opposite with pines. A fresh pine needle will bend and not snap.
Before you place your tree in the stand be sure to cut about 2 inches off the bottom of the trunk. This will enable the tree to take up water poured into the stand and so stay fresh longer, Never let the water in the stand get low. If the cut end of the trunk becomes dry even overnight it will seal over and quit absorbing water. Only removal from the stand and re-cutting can correct this situation.
Enjoy your Christmas tree this year whether it is a balsam fir grown in New England or a Georgia grown Virginia pine, and have a merry Christmas.
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