Where do Christmas trees come from?

Christmas trees are essential in creating the spirit of the holiday, but have you ever wondered where do they come from? Travelo.hu traced the home of the most popular types of pine tree, and with this list you might see the Christmas tree of your home in a different light.

The tradition of bringing a pine tree to the house and decorating it on Christmas Eve comes from Germany. According to travelo.hu, the first Christmas tree was set up by Martin Luther, the reformer, and the idea behind this custom was to commemorate the birth of Jesus. This very first tree was decorated with paper roses, candy and apples. Although the tradition originates from the 16th century, it was only in the 19th century when the Christmas tree replaced the Christmas Pyramid, a colourfully decorated wooden stand that had been the most popular symbol of this holiday. It was Teréz Brunszvik – the founder of nursery schools – who introduced this tradition in Hungary.

Nowadays, the Christmas tree is inseparable from the holiday and the trees are grown in special pine tree farms, but only few people know where the most popular tree types originate from.

Spruce

This fragrant pine tree comes from the Northern- and Central-European mountains. This is the least expensive type on the market, but the least lasting as well: the pine-needles of the spruce fall off quite early. If you choose this type, don’t forget to water it from beneath, the most suitable tree stand is one that can be filled with water.

Silver fir

The silver fir is actually a type of spruce, which was named after its silvery blue colour. This pine-tree comes from the western part of North-America, and can be found mostly in valleys. Due to its symmetrical and orderly branches, the silver fir can be decorated in many ways, but the cold colour of its pine-needles does not fit every interior.

Caucasian or Nordmandian fir tree

According to travel.hu the Caucasian fir or Nordmandian fir tree comes from the Caucasus, and not from Normandy, as some might deduce it from the name, which originates from Alexander von Nordmann, a Finnish zoologist. This type makes a perfect Christmas tree, it is symmetrical and has rich pine-needles that are not very sharp. Unfortunately, this is the most expensive one, but it lasts longer than any other type.

Bog spruce or Black spruce

The original homeland of the Black spruce is Southeast-Europe and South-Asia but in Hungary, costumers usually meet the Austrian variant of this tree. The characteristic feature of this type is its dark coloured pine-needles, which become very sharp when drying out. This inexpensive and long-lasting type is becoming more and more popular in Hungary, says travelo.hu.

Common fir tree

In Hungary, the common fir tree is not a widely-known type of pine-tree, though this is the biggest European type and very popular in Western-Europe. The common fir is a long-lasting and decorative tree, its pine-needles serve as a basis for essential oils as well.

based on article of travelo.hu
translated by Laura Kocsis

Photo: pixabay.com

Source: http://travelo.hu/