With the choice between a free trial for yourself or a gift subscription for a loved one, it's never been easier to uncover your family's hidden stories. Or maybe your German ancestors kept Christmas trees long before Godey's popularized them? Either way, there's no time like the present to delve into your past and see if you can find out more. If you have traced your ancestors back that far, it's amazing to think that they viewed Christmas trees as oddities or very new, fashionable decorations. Learn more about the secret histories of your favourite Christmas tree decorations. It's amazing to think that it wasn't so many generations ago that the Queen of England started it all. He began importing them to America and they soon sold by the millions to those eager to jazz up their Christmas trees.Ĭhristmas soon became a classic American tradition and the Christmas tree its flagship icon. Woolworth discovered Christmas baubles, native to Lauscha Germany. In 1882, Edward Johnson - an associate of Thomas Edison - was the first to electrically light a Christmas tree.Īround the same time, variety store mogul F.W. Most other Americans made home-made ornaments and sometimes brightly died popcorn on a string. In her journal, Victoria wrote that the Christmas trees were "hung with lights and sugar ornaments," but was this typical?Įarly Germans in America decorated Christmas trees with candles and hanging treats like apples, nuts or cookies. How were Christmas trees decorated long ago? Artificial trees have an interesting history, having first been developed in Germany in the early 1800s as a response to fears around deforestation.Ī far cry from today's plastic pines, the first artificial Christmas trees were made from goose feathers, dyed green. In the 21st century, more families than ever are using an artificial tree to top with tinsel each December. Although a particular shape of tree has become synonymous with Christmas today, there are actually many different species of trees used over the festive season, from Norway Spruces to Red Cedars. Most modern Christmas trees are evergreen conifer trees - within this group are fir, spruce and pine trees. In fact, Victoria's childhood was full of Christmas trees, but the tradition never spread much beyond the Royal Family until the 1840s. Back in 1800, George III's German wife Charlotte of Mecklenberg-Strelitz introduced a Christmas tree to her family. Prince Albert is generally credited with introducing the Christmas tree to Britain, but in fact, it was the work of his wife’s grandmother, Queen. 'Her Majesty Queen Victoria and the members of the royal family', illustration from Frank Leslies Illustrated Newspaper, v. View this page in full.īut Victoria and Albert weren't the first Royal Family to have a Christmas tree. Queen Victoria with her nine children, six of their spouses, and 23 grandchildren. 'Tree with an evergreen tradition', Suffolk Free Press, 1998.
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