The Christmas Tree

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When we think of Christmas, we think of the Christmas tree. The tradition of the Christmas tree comes from Germany. Germans had a fir tree in their homes and they decorated it with biscuits and candles. In Great Britain the Christmas tree became popular after 1840, when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, a German. He brought the tradition of the Christmas tree to the royal family. Then many people started to have Christmas trees in their homes. Today almost every Christian family has a Christmas tree at home or in the garden. Some families put up the tree on Christmas Eve, while many others put it up at the beginning of December. People decorate the tree with coloured lights, and at the top of the tree they usually put an angel or a star. They also like to decorate their homes and gardens with other Christmas symbols such as holly, mistletoe and paper decorations. Towns and cities too usually decorate the trees in the parks with coloured lights. Every year there is a very big Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square in London. It is a present from the people of Norway. This tradition started in 1947, when the Norwegians wanted to thank the British for their help during World War II. This tree is about 25 metres tall and it is decorated with white lights. America’s most famous Christmas tree is at the Rockefeller Center on Fifth Avenue in New York City. This spectacular Christmas tree has about five miles of lights. Every Christmas millions of people go ice skating near the Rockefeller tree.