History of The Christmas Tree
There is no symbol more representative of Christmas than the twinkling lights, green branches and lovingly-decorated Christmas tree.
The modern Christmas tree was developed in 16th century Germany, when Christians would bring the trees into their homes and decorate them. These trees were traditionally decorated with roses, apples, wafers, tinsel – which the Germans also invented – and sweetmeats.
In 1846, Queen Victoria and her German husband, Prince Albert, were shown in London News standing with their children around a Christmas tree. The couple and their family were popular with her subjects, and so the Christmas tree quickly became popular, not only in Britain but across American society too. By the 20th century, the Christmas tree was as popular in America as it was across Europe. Now, the country is home to of the most frequently-visited Christmas tree in the world, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.
Today, the giant Rockefeller Center tree is adorned with over 25,000 Christmas lights and is an iconic sight in New York City.