We all associate Xmas trees with the celebrations of Christmas and without it the whole celebration seems incomplete.

Here are some of the most interesting facts about these trees.

Legend has it that Christmas trees started being used for the occasion of Christmas since the 8th century AD but the concept of using evergreen trees for celebrations existed way before Christ was born. At that time, various kinds of trees were used such as conifers, needle leafed trees etc. In places where confers were a rare variety, broadleaf evergreen trees took its place as the holiday symbols.

The first Xmas tree was decorated in 1510 in Riga, Latvia while its printed reference was first made in Germany in 1531.

Cherry and Hawthorne trees have also been used in the past as Xmas trees.

In 1882, Thomas Edison’s assistant came up with the idea of decorating Xmas trees with electric bulbs. Christmas tree lights then began their mass production from 1890 and from 1900 big illuminated Xmas trees started being sold in large stores.

Xmas tree traditions officially began in the Rockefeller Center in 1933. In 2004 the tree was topped with a Swarovski Crystal star weighing 550 pounds and since 2007, the Xmas tree was decorated with 30,000 LED lights that are energy efficient and powered by solar energy.

In 1913, Mayor Carter H. Harrison lit up a Christmas tree in Grant Park in Chicago beginning their first official Christmas tree tradition.

Earlier going on a trek into the forests and getting the perfect tree was considered a Christmas tradition. However, due to environmental concerns, artificial trees came to be used in practise.

The use of Xmas Trees was banned in the White House for environmental reasons by Teddy Roosevelt.

Since 1947, Norwegian people gift a Christmas tree to England every year as a token of gratitude for the help extended by Britain to Norway during the Second World War.

Nowadays Xmas trees are grown on farmlands, harvested and pruned for attractive foliage and other features. Good quality trees require care and need to be protected from growth of weeds, diseases, insects etc.

There are many trees that grow in the wild. Not all acquire the perfect shape that people consider attractive as Xmas trees; only a fraction may develop into the perfect Xmas tree shape.

In New York for example, a good height of approximately 7 feet for any Xmas Tree requires 7-12 years of care to be ready for use. Some Xmas trees may take even longer periods of time.

Locally grown Xmas Trees are said to use lesser energy from fossil fuels as compared to artificial Xmas Trees. Many artificial trees however continue to be grown alongside natural trees and they are recycled and reused to reduce environmental costs.

Disposal of Xmas trees has always been a major problem for the environment in spite of being biodegradable in nature. Small trees decompose faster and can serve as rich manure for the soil but bigger ones increase disposal costs as well. Many people who purchase Xmas trees prefer to plant them in their own backyards if they have one, especially people living in suburban homes.