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Fresh snow is falling, Christmas lights are twinkling all around town and people are bustling in and out of stores doing their holiday shopping. You’re one of those harried people and while hurrying into the gift shop you see a semi-truck loaded down with hundreds of crisp evergreens that are likely bound for the Christmas tree vendor just down the street. Suddenly you think of an old German Christmas
song learned in grade school -- “Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how evergreen your branches”. You also recall those Sunday afternoons spent out at grandpa’s farm carefully choosing, then chopping down exactly the right tree. And then taking it home and decorating it with colorful lights, home-made ornaments and sweet treats.
You yourself haven’t allowed a real Christmas tree into your home for years. They were too much trouble, needing constant watering, needle clean-up and proper disposal in January. And you still have nightmares about the year the dog ate all the tinsel, requiring an emergency visit to the vet’s on Christmas day. No, a real tree was out of the question. But as the big semi slowly passes by and you catch a pungent whiff of fresh pine and country air you just can’t shake those nostalgic thoughts and you think...well, maybe...just for old time sake...
Ancient cultures like the Egyptians, the Romans, the Druids and the Vikings, revered the tree, particularly the evergreen varieties because they were a strong symbol for eternal life. Fresh boughs were hung indoors and around windows to ward off witches, ghosts, and various other ills. Evergreens were also used to celebrate the winter solstice or offered to the gods to encourage a rich and plentiful harvest.
During the 14th century, churches presented “miracle plays”, where passages from the bible were acted out. The most popular play was the one depicting Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately no apple trees were available on December 24th, the day the play was usually performed. German churchgoers decided to cut evergreens and attach apples to them. Before long this practice became custom in Germany and the traditional “Paradeisbaum” or paradise tree, was born.
Martin Luther was the first to add lights to the evergreen. Apparently he’d been so taken by a late night winter’s
walk under the stars and amidst a vast forest of evergreens,that he wanted to share the experience with his family. When a verbal description did it no justice, Luther took things a step further; he brought an evergreen into his house and tied candles to it.
Customs pertaining to the Christmas tree have evolved considerably over the centuries. Nowadays we no longer light candles and tie them to our festive trees for fear of starting a fire. Instead a vast assortment of safety approved lighting is available at hardware and department stores, and in every shape, color and price range under the winter sun. Nor does every household bring a live tree home for Christmas. Busy housewives and conservationists embraced the introduction of the artificial tree. But for every artificial tree supporter, there’s the traditionalist who insists on a real Christmas. So where do all these trees come from and who grows them?
Commercial Christmas tree farming is a multi-million dollar industry in North America. In the early 1900’s most live Christmas trees were cut down in the nearest forests or were sought out on a relative’s or friend’s farm or acreage. But as more and more wilderness areas were put under government protection or were designated as parks or wildlife sanctuaries, the yearly pilgrimage to find the perfect tree was no longer feasible and Christmas tree cultivation became a viable agricultural industry.
Close to 40 million Christmas trees are produced each year and are grown in just about every state in the US. California, Oregon, Washington, and North Carolina produce the most trees. In Canada, British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario and the Atlantic provinces support the highest concentration of Christmas tree farms. Over 1 million
acres are under cultivation and the industry employs well over 100,000 people. By far the most popular Christmas tree variety is the Scotch pine. This evergreen is not native to North America and was first introduced by European settlers. Its popularity stems from the
fact that it’s one of the most aromatic of the evergreen species and does not drop needles as quickly as other varieties. The Douglas fir, the Balsam and the white pine are some other popular Christmas tree choices.
Growing the perfect Christmas tree isn’t an easy task and doesn’t happen from one season to the next. From the time an evergreen seedling is planted until the day it’s cut and marketed usually takes an average of ten years. Most seedlings are started in a greenhouse and once they reach a height of 30-40 centimetres are transplanted into a field, usually by hand. Around 2000 young trees are planted per acre and if the farmer is lucky, 1500 might survive. In more northern climes this number drops to around 700. Even then there are many more variables involved in a seedling’s successful start, like too little or too much rain, rodents, and of course diseases and blights. Tree farmers must also make sure each tree acquires the most pleasing shape and density to satisfy today’s choosy consumer. This is usually done by annual pruning. Some trees are transplanted into pots in the fall for those consumers wanting to purchase a “living” tree, one that can be transplanted into the garden in the spring.
Once a Christmas tree is ready for market, it’s tagged and then cut and baled. The trees are then loaded onto semi-trailers and head to market all across the country. Some North American grown Christmas trees even find their way to Greenland, the Caribbean, and Central
America.
Christmas tree farms don’t just benefit the tree farmer and the seasonal consumer. Trees help to keep our air clean and a single acre of forest produces enough daily oxygen for 18 people. Trees are used as shelter belts around homes and crops, they help stop erosion and of course provide habitats for innumerable animal and bird species. Most cities and towns also support a Christmas tree re-cycling program. The resultant chips and fibres contain valuable mulch for farmers fields and for flower and vegetable gardens.
So maybe this Christmas it would be nice change to celebrate the holidays with a real tree, not that same old artificial one you’ve been hauling out of the basement year after year. Sure, a real tree will cost you some extra time, trouble and money. But nothing can change the fact that a fresh cut Christmas tree will always make the
festive season just a little more special.
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