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Christmas Tree
Helpful Hints...from
the National Christmas Tree
Association.
Use these tips to keep your Tree safe, alive with a fresh pine scent
and providing beauty throughout the holiday season:
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Select the freshest-looking Real Tree available. To test for
freshness, gently grasp a branch between your thumb and forefinger
and pull it toward you. Very few needles should come off in your
hand. Shake or bounce the tree on its stump. You should not see an
excessive amount of green needles fall to the ground. Some loss of
interior brown needles is normal.
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If not setting up right away, store the tree in water if possible
and out of the sun and wind.
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Make a fresh cut off the bottom of the trunk one half inch from
the bottom just before putting in the stand. Keep the tree’s stand
full of water at all times, checking the water level daily.
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The stand you use should hold at least one quart of water for
every inch diameter of the trunk after the tree is in the stand.
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Don’t add anything to the tree’s water. Research has shown
that plain tap water is by far the best. Some commercial additives
and home concoctions can actually be detrimental to a tree’s
moisture retention and increase needle loss.
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Place the Christmas Tree well away from heat registers, space
heaters, fire places, wood stoves, televisions, computer monitors
and other heat sources. These will speed up evaporation and moisture
loss of the tree
Christmas
Tree Facts...
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Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition in the
sixteenth century.
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In
1841, England's Prince Albert decorating the first English Christmas
tree at Windsor castle with candles and a variety of sweets, fruits and
gingerbread.
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Charles
Dickens described an 1850 Christmas Trees as being covered with dolls, miniature
furniture, tiny musical instruments, costume jewelry, toy guns and
swords, fruit and candy.
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The first record of a Christmas Tree being on display in America was in the 1830s by the German settlers of
Pennsylvania.
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By the 1890s, Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and
Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S.
It was noted that Europeans used small trees about four feet in
height, while Americans liked their Christmas to reach from floor to
ceiling.
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The early twentieth century saw Americans decorating their trees
mainly with homemade ornaments. Popcorn was used after being dyed bright colors and interlaced
with berries and nuts.
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Electricity brought about Christmas lights making it possible for
Christmas trees to glow for days on end. With this, Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across
the country.
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In
Poland, Christmas trees tops were always angels, peacocks and other
birds as well as many, many stars.
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In Sweden, trees are decorated with brightly painted wooden
ornaments and straw figures of animals and children.
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In Denmark, tiny Danish flags along with mobiles of
bells, stars, snowflakes and hearts are hung on Christmas trees.
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Lithuanians cover their trees with straw birdcages, stars and
geometric shapes. The straw
sends a wish for good crops in the coming year.
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Czechoslovakian trees
display ornaments made from painted eggshells.
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A Ukrainian Christmas tree has a spider and web for good luck.
Legend has it that once a poor woman with nothing to put on her
children's tree woke on Christmas morning to find the branches covered
with spider webs turned to silver by the rising sun.
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