| tionally, the Christmas tree was not put up until | | | | tree appeared in the London Illustrated News. The |
| 24th December, Christmas Eve, and it was taken | | | | fashion soon caught on and the Christmas tree |
| down on 6th January, 12th Night. The Germans | | | | became one of the main symbols of English |
| used to put their tree up on Christmas Eve and | | | | Victorian Christmas. The way we decorate our |
| take it down on 1st January, once the New Year | | | | Christmas trees nowadays owes a lot to the |
| celebrations were over. However, modern | | | | Victorians – we have copied their designs |
| commercialism dictates that a lot of trees now go | | | | and decorations and when we think Christmas, it |
| up as early as the first or second week in | | | | is basically a Victorian Christmas we think about. |
| December. This has been made possible by the | | | | Prince Albert used to distribute large quantities of |
| fact that a lot of people use artificial trees - to | | | | Christmas trees to schools and army barracks for |
| bring a real fir or pine tree indoors that early | | | | the festive season. |
| would result in falling needles and half bare | | | | It is said that the first Christmas trees in the |
| branches by Christmas Day. | | | | United States were introduced by German |
| The history of the Christmas tree certainly has its | | | | settlers who brought the custom from their |
| roots in Pagan traditions. The Norse pagans and | | | | homeland. Nowadays it is customary for cities and |
| Celtic Druids worshipped evergreens as | | | | councils to put up large trees for all to enjoy. |
| manifestations of deity because they were | | | | Many of these are tied to specific events and are |
| eternal and did not die, but stayed green when all | | | | given as commemorative gifts, such as the |
| other trees and plants in nature were dead and | | | | Christmas tree that is given annually by the city |
| bare in winter. | | | | of Oslo to the city of London as a token of |
| Scandinavian Pagans were thought to have | | | | appreciation for the British support of Norwegian |
| started the trend of bringing decorated trees | | | | resistance during the Second World War. |
| indoors in order to attract the native fairy folk | | | | In the 1850s the Thuringian Christmas Markets in |
| and tree elementals into their homes to join in the | | | | Germany began to sell fancy glass shaped |
| celebrations. Germanic Pagan tribes are said to | | | | garlands and gilt angels. By the 1860s the English |
| have been the first to place candles on the trees, | | | | Christmas trees would be hung with small gifts, |
| while the Romans at Saturnalia, their midwinter | | | | although most gifts were still put inter the tree. |
| festival, exchanged evergreen branches as a sign | | | | By the 1890s the Victorians had managed to go |
| of good luck. | | | | completely over the top - the Christmas tree |
| The first Christmas tree is said to have been | | | | would stretch from floor to ceiling and be |
| brought to England by Prince Albert in the 1840s | | | | festooned in toys, tinsel and garlands, great fun |
| and a picture of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and | | | | for the children. |
| their children in front of a decorated Christmas | | | | |