16 Fascinating Facts About Christmas Trees

The Christmas tree is the centerpiece for holiday decor in homes across the nation. We put it on a pedestal — just about every community has an official tree-lighting ceremony and we have multiple ceremonies for the whole country to participate in, even if they can only watch it on TV. It’s a holiday symbol with a history dating back centuries, with interesting facts surrounding them that we want to share with you. Here are 16 fascinating facts about Christmas trees.

1. For every Christmas tree cut down or harvested, three seedlings are planted in its place.
2. It can take up to ten years for a tree to be big and mature enough to be harvested as a Christmas tree.
3. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, the Christmas tree industry provides about 100,000 jobs.
4. Statista.com reports that 33 million farm-grown Christmas trees were sold in the United States in 2013.
5. Christmas trees are farmed in all 50 states.
6. 93% of real Christmas tree consumers recycle their tree and, in the United States, there are more than 4,000 Christmas tree recycling programs.
7. Recycled real Christmas trees are used to make mulch for paths and hiking trails.
8. An acre of Christmas trees provides enough oxygen to sustain 18 people for a day and the trees can remove dust and pollen from the air.
9. In the 19th century, Germany introduced the first artificial Christmas trees to the United States. They were made of goose feathers dyed green. Later, in 1930, an American brush company re-tooled the artificial Christmas trees using brush bristles similar to toilet brushes.
10. Aluminum artificial Christmas trees were first manufactured in Chicago in 1958.
11. According to History.com, it was allegedly Martin Luther’s idea to light Christmas trees with candles to resemble the stars in the sky. It wasn’t until 1882 that people started using electric lights.
12. The New York Times attributes the idea of the Christmas tree lot to woodsmen Mark Carr who opened a lot in New York in 1851.
13. Time Magazine credits construction workers during the Great Depression for erecting the first Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center in 1931.
14. According to WhiteHouseHistory.org, President Franklin Pierce erected the first White House Christmas tree in 1856, but the first official tree lighting ceremony was held in 1923 when  President Calvin Coolidge was in office.
15. During Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency, he banned the Christmas tree from the White House because, as an environmentalist, he didn’t approve of cutting down trees for decoration.
16. In 1979, to honor the American hostages in Iran, the only light on the National Christmas Tree was the top ornament.

Whether you cut down your Christmas tree yourself or you bought an artificial tree from The Lakeside Collection, the Christmas tree is an essential part of the holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!