As a result of many requests about where to find a pink Christmas tree, I have decided to write a post on the subject. This will be the first post dealing with something other than Christmas lighting and there will probably be others. I am going to add some Christmas tree history just for fun. I am not sure why the issue of finding a pink Christmas seemed to loom so large this year. I can only assume that somewhere in the popular media such a Christmas tree appeared, perhaps in a popular movie or perhaps in a television sitcom. I did not see Sex in the City II. Did Carrie, by chance have a pink Christmas tree?
The Christmas tree is a very important part of most Christmas celebrations. Also known as a Yule tree, traditionally a Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen tree. It can be real or artificial. The tree was generally green but white artificial Christmas trees are also common. And now we see that pink Christmas trees are in demand. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Germany in the 16th century. The Christmas tree is traditionally brought into the home and decorated with Christmas lights, ornaments, garlands, tinsel, and candy canes during the days around Christmas. An angel or star was often placed at the top of the tree, representing the host of angels or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity scene.
In the late 1500s , there are reports about how a small trees were decorated with "apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers" and erected in the homes, for the benefit of the children, who collected treats on Christmas Day.
It was generally regarded as a Protestant custom and did not spread to the Roman Catholic populations until the early 1800s. The tradition was introduced to Canada in the late 1700s by soldiers stationed in the Quebec to protect the colony against a potential American attack. The leaders of the garrison erected a fir tree decorated the tree with candles and fruits.
Many cities, towns, and department stores put up public Christmas trees outdoors, such as the Rich's Great Tree and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Almost every municipality of any size erects a Christmas tree. During most of the 1970s and 1980s, the largest decorated Christmas tree in the world was put up every year on the property of infamous tabloid, The National Enquirer . This tradition has since been discontinued.
In many cases the Christmas trees represent special commemorative gifts. Norway often uses Christmas trees as gestures of appreciation. Christmas trees used as token of appreciation include the one in Trafalgar Square in London, where the City of Oslo, Norway presents a tree to the people of London as a token of appreciation for the British support during the Second World War; in Boston, where the Christmas tree is a gift from the province of Nova Scotia in Canada, in thanks for the quick assistance after the terrible ammunition ship explosion in 1917 that destroyed the city of Halifax; and in Newcastle upon Tyne, where an almost 50 foot Christmas tree is a gift from the city of Bergen, Norway, in thanks for help in liberating Bergen from Nazi occupation. Norway also annually gifts a Christmas tree to Washington D.C. as a token of friendship and mutual respect between Norway and the US and in gratitude for the help Norway received from the US during World War II. No word on whether these trees are ever pink Christmas trees.
Both setting up and taking down a Christmas tree are associated with specific dates. Traditionally, Christmas trees were not brought into the home and decorated until December 24 and then they were removed the day after January 6th, which is the twelfth day of Christmas. It was considered bad luck to have a Christmas tree up before or after these dates. Times have changed. Many households in America will put up a Christmas tree shortly after American Thanksgiving which is at the end of November.
The most commonly used for Christmas trees are fir trees, which have the benefit of not shedding their needles when they dry out, as well as retaining pretty decent color and scent over a number of weeks after being cut. Other different types of trees are also used such as spruce and pine.
Germany seems to be the innovator of Christmas trees as that country is thought to have created the first artificial Christmas tree. These fake Christmas trees were first made using goose feathers that were dyed green. Feather Christmas trees ranged widely in size, from a few inches tall to almost six feet tall. At times, the tree branches were tipped with artificial red berries. It is unknown whether an artificial pink Christmas tree of feathers was ever constructed or erected.
Over the years, many other styles of artificial or fake Christmas trees have been developed and have become popular. In 1930, the first artificial Christmas tree made from brush bristles. Other artificial trees have been made from aluminum. These days most artificial Christmas trees are made from recycled plastics of used packaging materials, such as PVC. There are also Christmas tree shaped objects that are made from materials as wood, cardboard, glass, ceramic. Many of these Christmas tree objects are pink. Artificial trees became increasingly popular because they are more convenient and they turned out to be much cheaper than the real tree. In the last five years artificial Christmas tree sales in North America have more than doubled. Pink Christmas trees have, no doubt, played a wee part in this boom.
Now lets get to the point. Where can you find a pink Christmas tree? The answer depends entirely upon timing it would appear. In researching this question earlier in December, I did quick Amazon internet search and found dozens of pink Christmas tree results. These trees ranged in size and price and there was an excellent selection. My most recent search, done a few days after Christmas give me zero results. It was my intention to contrast and compare the different pink Christmas trees but I guess that will have to wait until next year. I hope everyone had a happy Christmas and a few were able to enjoy a pink Christmas tree.
No comments:
Post a Comment