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Fin Facts
FIN FACTS
By
Nov 30, 2007, 12:35

During the middle ages, an evergreen was decorated with apples and called the Paradise tree, as a symbol of the feast of Adam and Eve and was held on December 24th each year.

The modern Christmas trees appeared in the middle 1500's. The trees were sold at local markets and set up in homes without any ornaments in Germany in 1531.

The oldest record of a decorated Christmas tree came from a diary found 1605 in Strasburg, Germany. The tree was decorated with paper roses, apples and candies.

Tinsel was invented in Germany around 1610. Real silver was used at that time.

The custom of the Christmas tree was introduced in the United States during the War of Independence by Hessian troops.

The first retail Christmas tree lot in the United States was opened in New York City in 1851.

The first president to introduce the Christmas tree to the White House was Franklin Pierce in 1856.

The glass Christmas Tree ornaments were first sold in America around 1880. 

The first artificial Christmas tree was invented in the 1880's in Germany. This was done to slow the cutting down of the fir trees thinning of the forests at Christmas.

Electric Christmas Tree lights was first introduced in 1882. Until that time, candles were used to illuminate the tree. This practiced resulted in many fires.

The first National American Christmas Tree was lighted in 1923 on the White House lawn by President Calvin Coolidge.

The tradition of hanging stockings comes from a story that on Christmas Eve, St. Nicholas dropped gold coins down the chimney of a poor family. The coins landed in the children's stockings, which had been hanging by the fireplace to dry.

In ancient times, holly was considered magical and sacred because of its shiny leaves and ability to bear fruit in winter. It was often believed that if you hung holly over your bed, you would have good dreams.

In the past, bells and other noisemakers were believed to frighten away evil spirits. Today, the ringing of Church bells still announce the coming of the Christmas.

The first written story about the legend of Santa Claus and his eight reindeer was "A Visit from St. Nicholas," written in 1823 by Clement C. Moore.

The ninth reindeer, Rudolph, did not come along until 1939, in a story by Robert L. May.