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"Chrismon" (plural "Chrismons") was adopted for the type of [[wikipedia:Christmas decoration|Christmas decoration]] and explained as a portmanteau of "'''Chris'''t-'''mon'''ogram" (a [[wikipedia:Christogram|Christogram]]).<ref>so in ''[[wikipedia:The Lutheran Witness|The Lutheran Witness]]'', Volume 83 (1964), p. 548 "the Chrismon (from CHRISt-MONogram) tree", and in James Edgar, Ellen Edgar, ''A Chrismon Service'' (1981), p. 2. The word's actual etymology, from Middle Latin ([[wikipedia:Landulf of Milan|Landulf of Milan]], 12th century) [[wikipedia::wikt:crismon|crismon]], is less than clear: [[wikipedia:George Henry Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers|George Henry Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers]], ''The riddle of the 'Labarum' and the origin of Christian symbols'', Allen & Unwin, 1966, p. 28; "I can find no roots, etymology or grounds for the adoption of the word adopted by some Christians, 'Chrismon', which is supposed to mean the 'Monogram of Christ', and which appears in some dictionaries (i.e. Funk and Wagnalis, 1922)."</ref><ref name="Stookey2011">{{cite book|title=Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church|last=Stookey|first=Laurence Hull|date=1 December 2011|publisher=Abingdon Press|isbn=9781426728044|page=107|quote=Beyond that the term "Chrismon" is used loosely to refer to symbols related to Christ, including the orb, crown, fish, star, anchor, and a wide variety of forms on the cross. All of these, often made in materials of gold and white, are used on a pine or fir tree in place of the more usual multicolored ornaments used on trees at home. Lights are also usually of clear glass rather than being colored.}}</ref>
"Chrismon" (plural "Chrismons") was adopted for the type of [[wikipedia:Christmas decoration|Christmas decoration]] and explained as a portmanteau of "'''Chris'''t-'''mon'''ogram" (a [[wikipedia:Christogram|Christogram]]).<ref>so in ''[[wikipedia:The Lutheran Witness|The Lutheran Witness]]'', Volume 83 (1964), p. 548 "the Chrismon (from CHRISt-MONogram) tree", and in James Edgar, Ellen Edgar, ''A Chrismon Service'' (1981), p. 2. The word's actual etymology, from Middle Latin ([[wikipedia:Landulf of Milan|Landulf of Milan]], 12th century) [[wikipedia::wikt:crismon|crismon]], is less than clear: [[wikipedia:George Henry Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers|George Henry Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers]], ''The riddle of the 'Labarum' and the origin of Christian symbols'', Allen & Unwin, 1966, p. 28; "I can find no roots, etymology or grounds for the adoption of the word adopted by some Christians, 'Chrismon', which is supposed to mean the 'Monogram of Christ', and which appears in some dictionaries (i.e. Funk and Wagnalis, 1922)."</ref><ref name="Stookey2011">{{cite book|title=Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church|last=Stookey|first=Laurence Hull|date=1 December 2011|publisher=Abingdon Press|isbn=9781426728044|page=107|quote=Beyond that the term "Chrismon" is used loosely to refer to symbols related to Christ, including the orb, crown, fish, star, anchor, and a wide variety of forms on the cross. All of these, often made in materials of gold and white, are used on a pine or fir tree in place of the more usual multicolored ornaments used on trees at home. Lights are also usually of clear glass rather than being colored.}}</ref>
==Customs and traditions==
===Setting up and taking down===
[[File:Candle on Christmas tree 3.jpg|thumb|A candle on a Christmas tree]]
{{Further|Hanging of the greens}}
Both setting up and taking down a Christmas tree are associated with specific dates; liturgically, this is done through the [[wikipedia:hanging of the greens|hanging of the greens]] ceremony.<ref name="Dixon2013">{{cite book|last=Dixon|first=Sandy|title=Everlasting Light: A Resource for Advent Worship|date=30 October 2013|publisher=Chalice Press|language=en |isbn=9780827208377|page=5|quote=Many congregations decorate the sanctuary for the Advent season in a service called Hanging of the Greens.}}</ref> In many areas, it has become customary to set up one's Christmas tree on [[wikipedia:Advent Sunday|Advent Sunday]], the first day of the [[wikipedia:Advent|Advent]] season.<ref name="Michelin2012">{{cite book|last=Michelin|title=Germany Green Guide Michelin 2012–2013|quote=Advent – The four weeks before Christmas are celebrated by counting down the days with an advent calendar, hanging up Christmas decorations and lightning an additional candle every Sunday on the four-candle advent wreath.|date=10 October 2012|publisher=Michelin |isbn=9782067182110|page=73}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Peter |last=Mazar |title=School Year, Church Year: Customs and Decorations for the Classroom |year=2000 |publisher=Liturgy Training Publications |isbn=978-1568542409 |page=161 }}</ref> Traditionally, however, Christmas trees were not brought in and decorated until the evening of [[wikipedia:Christmas Eve|Christmas Eve]] (24 December), the end of the Advent season and the start of the [[wikipedia:twelve days of Christmas|twelve days]] of [[wikipedia:Christmastide|Christmastide]].<ref name="Blainey2004">{{cite book |last1=Blainey |first1=Geoffrey |title=Black Kettle and Full Moon |date=2004 |publisher=Penguin Group Australia |isbn=978-1-74228-327-2 |language=en |quote=But towards the end of the nineteenth century, in the weatherboard halls of a few townships, a tree would annually be set up, usually on Christmas Eve.}}</ref> It is customary for Christians in many localities to remove their [[wikipedia:Christmas decorations|Christmas decorations]] on the last day of the twelve days of Christmastide that falls on 5 January—[[wikipedia:Twelfth Night (holiday)|Epiphany Eve]] (Twelfth Night),<ref name="Learning">{{Cite book |title=A Study Guide for William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" |publisher=[[wikipedia:Cengage Learning|Cengage Learning]] |year=2016 |isbn=9781410361349 |edition=2 |page=29 |language=en |quote=Twelfth Night saw people feasting and taking down Christmas decorations. The king cake is traditionally served in France and England on the Twelfth Night to commemorate the journey of the Magi to visit the Christ child.}}</ref> although those in other [[wikipedia:Christian state|Christian countries]] remove them on [[wikipedia:Candlemas|Candlemas]], the conclusion of the extended [[wikipedia:Epiphanytide|Christmas-Epiphany season]] (Epiphanytide).<ref name="Edworthy2008">{{Cite book |title=The Curious World of Christmas |last=Edworthy |first=Niall |date=October 7, 2008 |publisher=[[wikipedia:Penguin Group|Penguin Group]] |isbn=9780399534577 |page=83 |language=en |quote=The time-honoured epoch for taking down Christmas decorations from Church and house in Candlemas Day, February 2nd. Terribly withered they are by that time. Candlemas in old times represented the end of the Christmas holidays, which, when "fine old leisure" reigned, were far longer than they are now.}}</ref><ref name="Roud2008">{{Cite book |title=The English Year |last=Roud |first=Steve |date=January 31, 2008 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=9780141919270 |page=690 |language=en |quote=As indicated in Herrick's poem, quoted above, in the mid seventeenth century Christmas decorations were expected to stay in place until Candlemas (2 February), and this remained the norm until the nineteenth century.}}</ref> According to the first tradition, those who fail to remember to remove their Christmas decorations on Epiphany Eve must leave them untouched until Candlemas, the second opportunity to remove them; failure to observe this custom is considered inauspicious.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://metro.co.uk/2016/12/31/when-is-twelfth-night-and-what-does-it-mean-6353917/ |title=When is Twelfth Night and what does it mean? |last=Groome |first=Imogen |date=December 31, 2016 |publisher=[[wikipedia:Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]] |access-date=January 7, 2017 |quote=Twelfth Night 2017 is on Thursday 5 January, which is when we’re meant to put away our Christmas decorations or there’ll be bad luck in the year ahead. If you miss the date, some believe it’s necessary to keep decorations up until Candlemas on 2 February – or you’ll definitely have a rubbish year.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/candlemas.shtml |title=Candlemas |work=BBC |access-date=April 9, 2014 |quote=Any Christmas decorations not taken down by Twelfth Night (January 5th) should be left up until Candlemas Day and then taken down.}}</ref>
===Decoration===
{{main|Christmas ornament}}
{{More citations needed section|date=December 2012}}
[[File:2002 Blue Room Christmas tree.jpg|thumb|White House Christmas tree]]
[[File:Christmas market, Strasbourg (5226805005).jpg|thumb|Christmas ornaments at the [[wikipedia:Christmas market|Christmas market]], Strasbourg]]
Christmas ornaments are decorations (usually made of glass, metal, wood, or ceramics) that are used to decorate a Christmas tree. The first decorated trees were adorned with apples, white candy canes and pastries in the shapes of stars, hearts and flowers. [[wikipedia:Glass|Glass]] baubles were first made in [[wikipedia:Lauscha|Lauscha]], [[wikipedia:Germany|Germany]], and also garlands of glass beads and [[wikipedia:tin|tin]] figures that could be hung on trees. The popularity of these decorations grew into the production of glass figures made by highly skilled [[wikipedia:artisans|artisans]] with [[wikipedia:clay|clay]] molds.
Tinsel and several types of garland or ribbon are commonly used to decorate a Christmas tree. Silvered [[wikipedia:saran (plastic)|saran]]-based tinsel was introduced later. Delicate mold-blown and painted colored glass Christmas ornaments were a specialty of the glass factories in the [[wikipedia:Thuringian Forest|Thuringian Forest]], especially in Lauscha in the late 19th century, and have since become a large industry, complete with famous-name designers. Baubles are another common decoration, consisting of small hollow glass or plastic spheres coated with a thin metallic layer to make them reflective, with a further coating of a thin pigmented polymer in order to provide coloration.
Lighting with electric lights (Christmas lights or, in the United Kingdom, fairy lights) is commonly done. A [[wikipedia:tree-topper|tree-topper]], sometimes an angel but more frequently a star, completes the decoration.
In the late 1800s, home-made white Christmas trees were made by wrapping strips of cotton batting around leafless branches creating the appearance of a snow-laden tree.
In the 1940s and 1950s, popularized by Hollywood films in the late 1930s, [[wikipedia:flocking (texture)|flocking]] was very popular on the [[wikipedia:West Coast of the United States|West Coast of the United States]]. There were home flocking kits that could be used with vacuum cleaners. In the 1980s some trees were sprayed with fluffy white flocking to simulate snow.


<gallery class="center" heights="150px" caption="Decorations">
<gallery class="center" heights="150px" caption="Decorations">
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File:Christmas baubles 08 - 02.JPG|Christmas baubles
File:Christmas baubles 08 - 02.JPG|Christmas baubles
</gallery>
</gallery>
==Production==
{{See also|Christmas tree production}}
[[File:Christmas tree for sale.jpg|thumb|Undecorated Christmas trees for sale]]
Each year, 33 to 36 million Christmas trees are produced in America, and 50 to 60 million are produced in Europe. In 1998, there were about 15,000 growers in America (a third of them "choose and cut" farms). In that same year, it was estimated that Americans spent $1.5{{nbsp}}billion on Christmas trees.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.apsnet.org/education/feature/1225tree/top.htm |title=The Christmas Tree |access-date=8 December 2006 |author=Gary A. Chastagner and D. Michael Benson |year=2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061206194229/http://apsnet.org/education/feature/1225tree/top.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=6 December 2006 }}</ref> By 2016 that had climbed to $2.04{{nbsp}}billion for natural trees and a further $1.86{{nbsp}}billion for artificial trees. In Europe, 75 million trees worth €2.4{{nbsp}}billion ($3.2 billion) are harvested annually.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Yanofsky|first1=David|title=What the Christmas tree industrial complex looks like from space|url=https://qz.com/1165085/what-giant-christmas-tree-farms-look-like-from-space/|access-date=24 December 2017|work=[[wikipedia:Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]|date=21 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224213558/https://qz.com/1165085/what-giant-christmas-tree-farms-look-like-from-space/|archive-date=24 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Consumer cost===
The average cost of a live cut tree in the United States was $64 in 2015 and this rose to $73 in 2017. The price is expected to hold steady for the next year.<ref>{{cite news |last=Skerritt |first=Jen |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-13/millennials-are-giving-american-tree-growers-a-green-christmas |title=Millennials Are Giving American Tree Growers a Green Christmas |work=[[wikipedia:Bloomberg News|Bloomberg News]] |date=13 November 2018 |access-date=14 November 2018 }}</ref>
[[File:F Krüger Vorweihnacht.jpg|thumb|Father and son with their dog collecting a tree in the forest, painting by [[wikipedia:Franz Krüger|Franz Krüger]] (1797–1857)]]
[[File:Karl Wenzel Zajicek A Christmas market in Am Hof Vienna 1908.jpg|thumb|Trees on sale at a Christmas market in [[wikipedia:Vienna|Vienna]], painting by [[wikipedia:Carl Wenzel Zajicek|Carl Wenzel Zajicek]] (1908)]]
[[File:Balsam Fir Christmas Tree Pruning.jpg|thumb|A grower in [[wikipedia:Waterloo, Nova Scotia|Waterloo, Nova Scotia]], prunes [[wikipedia:Abies balsamea|balsam fir]] trees in October. The tree must experience three frosts to stabilize the needles before cutting.]]
===Natural trees===
{{See also|Christmas tree cultivation}}
The most commonly used species are [[wikipedia:fir|fir]] (''Abies''), which have the benefit of not shedding their needles when they dry out, as well as retaining good foliage color and scent; but species in other [[wikipedia:genus|genera]] are also used.
In northern [[wikipedia:Europe|Europe]] most commonly used are:
* [[wikipedia:Picea abies|Norway spruce]] ''Picea abies'' (the original tree, generally the cheapest)
* [[wikipedia:Abies alba|Silver fir]] ''Abies alba''
* [[wikipedia:Abies nordmanniana|Nordmann fir]] ''Abies nordmanniana''
* [[wikipedia:Noble fir|Noble fir]] ''Abies procera''
* [[wikipedia:Picea omorika|Serbian spruce]] ''Picea omorika''
* [[wikipedia:Scots pine|Scots pine]] ''Pinus sylvestris''
* [[wikipedia:Stone pine|Stone pine]] ''Pinus pinea'' (as small table-top trees)
* [[wikipedia:Swiss pine|Swiss pine]] ''Pinus cembra''
In [[wikipedia:North America|North America]], [[wikipedia:Central America|Central America]], [[wikipedia:South America|South America]] and [[wikipedia:Australia|Australia]] most commonly used are:
* [[wikipedia:Douglas fir|Douglas fir]] ''Pseudotsuga menziesii''
* [[wikipedia:Abies balsamea|Balsam fir]] ''Abies balsamea''
* [[wikipedia:Fraser Fir|Fraser Fir]] ''Abies fraseri''
* [[wikipedia:Abies grandis|Grand fir]] ''Abies grandis''
* [[wikipedia:Abies guatemalensis|Guatemalan fir]] ''Abies guatemalensis''
* [[wikipedia:Noble fir|Noble fir]] ''Abies procera''
* [[wikipedia:Abies nordmanniana|Nordmann fir]] ''Abies nordmanniana''
* [[wikipedia:Abies magnifica|Red fir]] ''Abies magnifica''
* [[wikipedia:Abies concolor|White fir]] ''Abies concolor''
* [[wikipedia:Colorado Pinyon|Pinyon pine]] ''Pinus edulis''
* [[wikipedia:Jeffrey pine|Jeffrey pine]] ''Pinus jeffreyi''
* [[wikipedia:Scots pine|Scots pine]] ''Pinus sylvestris''
* [[wikipedia:Stone pine|Stone pine]] ''Pinus pinea'' (as small table-top trees)
* [[wikipedia:Araucaria heterophylla|Norfolk Island pine]] ''Araucaria heterophylla''
*[[wikipedia:Araucaria angustifolia|Paraná pine]] ''Araucaria angustifolia'' (when young, resembles a [[wikipedia:Pine|Pine tree]])
Several other species are used to a lesser extent. Less-traditional conifers are sometimes used, such as [[wikipedia:Sequoiadendron giganteum|giant sequoia]], [[wikipedia:Leyland cypress|Leyland cypress]], [[wikipedia:Cupressus macrocarpa|Monterey cypress]], and [[wikipedia:Juniperus virginiana|eastern juniper]]. Various types of [[wikipedia:spruce|spruce]] tree are also used for Christmas trees (including the [[wikipedia:Picea pungens|blue spruce]] and, less commonly, the [[wikipedia:Picea glauca|white spruce]]); but spruces begin to lose their needles rapidly upon being cut, and spruce needles are often sharp, making decorating uncomfortable. [[wikipedia:Pinus virginiana|Virginia pine]] is still available on some tree farms in the southeastern United States; however, its winter color is faded. The long-needled [[wikipedia:Pinus strobus|eastern white pine]] is also used there, though it is an unpopular Christmas tree in most parts of the country, owing also to its faded winter coloration and limp branches, making decorating difficult with all but the lightest ornaments. Norfolk Island pine is sometimes used, particularly in [[wikipedia:Oceania|Oceania]], and in [[wikipedia:Australia|Australia]], some species of the genera ''[[wikipedia:Casuarina|Casuarina]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:Allocasuarina|Allocasuarina]]'' are also occasionally used as Christmas trees. But, by far, the most common tree is the Pinus radiata [[wikipedia:Pinus radiata|Monterey pine]]. ''[[wikipedia:Adenanthos sericeus|Adenanthos sericeus]]'' or Albany woolly bush is commonly sold in southern Australia as a potted living Christmas tree. [[wikipedia:Tsuga|Hemlock]] species are generally considered unsuitable as Christmas trees due to their poor needle retention and inability to support the weight of lights and ornaments.
Some trees, frequently referred to as "living Christmas trees", are sold live with roots and soil, often from a [[wikipedia:plant nursery|plant nursery]], to be stored at nurseries in planters or planted later outdoors and enjoyed (and often decorated) for years or decades. Others are produced in a container and sometimes as [[wikipedia:topiary|topiary]] for a porch or patio. However, when done improperly, the combination of root loss caused by digging, and the indoor environment of high temperature and low humidity is very detrimental to the tree's health; additionally, the warmth of an indoor climate will bring the tree out of its natural winter [[wikipedia:dormancy|dormancy]], leaving it little protection when put back outside into a cold outdoor climate. Often Christmas trees are a large attraction for living animals, including mice and spiders. Thus, the survival rate of these trees is low.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/other/seasonal/hgic1751.html |title=Living Christmas Trees |publisher=[[wikipedia:Clemson University|Clemson University]] |access-date=12 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100606222650/https://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/other/seasonal/hgic1751.html |archive-date=6 June 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, when done properly, replanting provides higher survival rates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.for.msu.edu/extension/ExtDocs/xmastree.htm |title=Christmas tree |publisher=Department of Forestry, [[wikipedia:Michigan State University|Michigan State University]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315150004/http://www.for.msu.edu/extension/ExtDocs/xmastree.htm |archive-date=15 March 2012 }}</ref>
European tradition prefers the open aspect of naturally grown, unsheared trees, while in North America (outside western areas where trees are often wild-harvested on public lands)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/newsroom/2004/blm_and_forest_service0.html |title=BLM and Forest Service Christmas tree permits available |publisher=[[wikipedia:Bureau of Land Management|Bureau of Land Management]] |date=30 November 2004 |access-date=18 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114174843/http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/newsroom/2004/blm_and_forest_service0.html |archive-date=14 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> there is a preference for close-sheared trees with denser foliage, but less space to hang decorations.
In the past, Christmas trees were often harvested from wild forests, but now almost all are commercially grown on [[wikipedia:tree farm|tree farm]]s. Almost all Christmas trees in the United States are grown on Christmas tree farms where they are cut after about ten years of growth and new trees planted. According to the [[wikipedia:United States Department of Agriculture|United States Department of Agriculture]]'s agriculture census for 2007, 21,537 farms were producing conifers for the cut Christmas tree market in America, {{convert|5717.09|km2|acre|0}} were planted in Christmas trees.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Specialty_Crops/speccrop.pdf |title=2007 Census of Agriculture: Specialty Crops (Volume 2, Subject Series, Part 8) |at=Table 1, page 1 |date=November 2009 |publisher=[[wikipedia:United States Department of Agriculture|United States Department of Agriculture]] |access-date=19 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216135500/http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Specialty_Crops/speccrop.pdf |archive-date=16 February 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Christmas tree farm near New Germany, Nova Scotia, Canada.jpg|upright=4|thumb|center|A Christmas tree farm near [[wikipedia:New Germany, Nova Scotia|New Germany, Nova Scotia]], Canada]]
The life cycle of a Christmas tree from the seed to a {{convert|2|m|ft|0|adj=on}} tree takes, depending on species and treatment in cultivation, between eight and twelve years. First, the seed is extracted from cones harvested from older trees. These seeds are then usually grown in nurseries and then sold to Christmas tree farms at an age of three to four years. The remaining development of the tree greatly depends on the climate, soil quality, as well as the cultivation and how the trees are tended by the Christmas tree farmer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weihnachtsbaumversand.de/Wissenswertes:_:35.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071125213649/http://www.weihnachtsbaumversand.de/Wissenswertes%3A_%3A35.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 November 2007 |title=Unsere kleine Baumschule—Wissenswertes |trans-title=Our little nursery: Trivia |language=de |year=2010 |access-date=18 December 2012 }}</ref>
===Artificial trees===
{{Main|Artificial Christmas tree}}
[[File:Christmas tree in Poland 2004.jpg|thumb|150px|An artificial Christmas tree]]
The first artificial Christmas trees were developed in Germany during the 19th century,<ref name="forbes">{{cite book |author=Bruce David Forbes |title=Christmas: A Candid History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ap8unt4cP54C&pg=PA121 |publisher=[[wikipedia:University of California Press|University of California Press]] |year=2007 |pages=121–22 |isbn=978-0-5202-5104-5}}</ref><ref name="hewitt">{{cite book |first=James |last=Hewitt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CXdxIt-ZBFgC&pg=PA34 |title=The Christmas Tree |publisher=Lulu.com |year=2007 |pages=33–36 |isbn=978-1430308201 }}{{self-published source|date=February 2020}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}} though earlier examples exist.<ref name="perkins"/> These "trees" were made using goose feathers that were dyed green,<ref name="forbes"/> as one response by Germans to continued [[wikipedia:deforestation|deforestation]].<ref name="hewitt"/> [[wikipedia:Feather Christmas trees|Feather Christmas trees]] ranged widely in size, from a small {{convert|2|in|cm|0|abbr=off|adj=on|order=flip|sp=us}} tree to a large {{convert|98|in|m|abbr=off|adj=on|order=flip|sp=us}} tree sold in department stores during the 1920s.<ref name="silverthorne">{{cite book|first=Elizabeth |last=Silverthorne |title=Christmas in Texas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9G-58ECNgTUC&pg=PA62 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |year=1994 |page=62 |isbn=978-0-8909-6578-8}}</ref> Often, the tree branches were tipped with artificial red berries which acted as [[wikipedia:candlestick|candle holders]].<ref name="marling">{{cite book |author=Karal Ann Marling |title=Merry Christmas!: Celebrating America's Greatest Holiday |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EUc13_ourtYC&pg=PA58 |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2000 |pages=58–62 |isbn=978-0-674-00318-7 }}</ref>
Over the years, other styles of artificial Christmas trees have evolved and become popular. In 1930, the U.S.-based Addis Brush Company created the first artificial Christmas tree made from [[wikipedia:brush|brush]] bristles.<ref name="cole">{{cite book |first=Peter |last=Cole |title=Christmas Trees: Fun and Festive Ideas |url=https://archive.org/details/christmastreesfu0000cole_c7m9 |url-access=registration |publisher=Chronicle Books |year=2002 |page=[https://archive.org/details/christmastreesfu0000cole_c7m9/page/23 23] |isbn=978-0-8118-3577-0 }}</ref> Another type of artificial tree is the [[wikipedia:aluminum Christmas tree|aluminum Christmas tree]],<ref name="hewitt"/> first manufactured in [[wikipedia:Chicago|Chicago]] in 1958,<ref name="baltsun">{{cite news |first=Cassandra A. |last=Fortin |url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2008-10-26/news/0810230187_1_trees-aluminum-color |title=It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (1958) |work=[[wikipedia:The Baltimore Sun|The Baltimore Sun]] |date=26 October 2008 |access-date=18 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211015818/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2008-10-26/news/0810230187_1_trees-aluminum-color |archive-date=11 December 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> and later in [[wikipedia:Manitowoc, Wisconsin|Manitowoc, Wisconsin]], where the majority of the trees were produced.<ref name="andrews">{{cite book |author=Candice Gaukel Andrews |title=Great Wisconsin Winter Weekends |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OlmGjEU7qU4C&pg=PA178 |publisher=Big Earth Publishing |year=2006 |page=178 |isbn=978-1-9315-9971-9 }}</ref> Most modern artificial Christmas trees are made from plastic recycled from used packaging materials, such as [[wikipedia:polyvinyl chloride|polyvinyl chloride]] (PVC).<ref name="hewitt"/> Approximately 10% of artificial Christmas trees are using virgin suspension PVC resin; despite being plastic most artificial trees are not recyclable or biodegradable.<ref name="livescience">{{cite web |url=http://www.livescience.com/3132-fake-christmas-trees-green.html |title=Fake Christmas Trees Not So Green |first=Jennifer |last=Berry |work=[[wikipedia:LiveScience|LiveScience]] |date=9 December 2008 |access-date=18 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104082038/http://www.livescience.com/3132-fake-christmas-trees-green.html |archive-date=4 January 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Other trends have developed in the early 2000s as well. [[wikipedia:Optical fiber|Optical fiber]] Christmas trees come in two major varieties; one resembles a traditional Christmas tree.<ref name="howstuff">{{cite web |first=Katherine |last=Neer |url=http://christmas.howstuffworks.com/christmas-tree7.htm |title=How Christmas Trees Work |work=[[wikipedia:howStuffWorks|howStuffWorks]] |date=December 2006 |access-date=21 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224133748/http://christmas.howstuffworks.com/christmas-tree7.htm |archive-date=24 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> One [[wikipedia:Dallas|Dallas]]-based company offers "holographic mylar" trees in many hues.<ref name="perkins">{{cite web |first=Broderick |last=Perkins |url=http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20031212_fauxtree.htm |title=Faux Christmas Tree Crop Yields Special Concerns |work=Realty Times |date=12 December 2003 |access-date=21 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908040211/http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20031212_fauxtree.htm |archive-date=8 September 2008 }}</ref> Tree-shaped objects made from such materials as cardboard,<ref name="popmech">{{cite journal |title=Table-top Christmas Tree |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-9oDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA117 |journal=[[wikipedia:Popular Mechanics|Popular Mechanics]] |date=January 1937 |page=117 }}</ref> glass,<ref name="diablo">{{cite web |url=http://www.diabloglassschool.com/hotshopclassdetails/holidaytrees.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120215734/http://www.diabloglassschool.com/hotshopclassdetails/holidaytrees.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 November 2008 |title=Glass Christmas Tree, one-day course listing |publisher=Diablo Glass School |access-date=21 December 2008 }}</ref> ceramic or other materials can be found in use as tabletop decorations. Upside-down artificial Christmas trees became popular for a short time and were originally introduced as a marketing gimmick; they allowed consumers to get closer to ornaments for sale in retail stores and opened up floor space for more products.<ref name="npr">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5006258 |title=Demand Grows for Upside Down Christmas Tree |format=Audio |work=[[wikipedia:All Things Considered|All Things Considered]] |publisher=[[wikipedia:NPR|NPR]] |date=9 November 2005 |access-date=21 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218101909/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5006258 |archive-date=18 December 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Artificial trees became increasingly popular during the late 20th century.<ref name="hewitt"/> Users of artificial Christmas trees assert that they are more convenient, and, because they are reusable, much cheaper than their natural alternative.<ref name="hewitt"/> They are also considered much safer<ref>{{cite web |url=http://firstaid.about.com/od/injuriesathome/qt/06_xmastree.htm |title=Christmas Tree Safety |publisher=[[wikipedia:About.com|About.com]] |access-date=20 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107234602/http://firstaid.about.com/od/injuriesathome/qt/06_xmastree.htm |archive-date=7 January 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> as natural trees can be a significant fire hazard. Between 2001 and 2007 artificial Christmas tree sales in the U.S. jumped from 7.3 million to 17.4 million.<ref name="hayes">{{cite news |author=Sharon Caskey Hayes |url=http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9009208 |title=Grower says real Christmas trees are better for environment than artificial ones |work=Kingsport Times-News |location=Kingsport, Tennessee |date=26 November 2008 |access-date=21 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100627211924/http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9009208 |archive-date=27 June 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Currently it is estimated that around 58% of Christmas trees used in the United States are artificial while numbers in the United Kingdom are indicated to be around 66%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://christmastreesource.com/|title=Christmas Tree Resource: Your Source On Xmas Decorations|website=Christmas Tree Source|language=en-US|access-date=8 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808234749/http://christmastreesource.com/|archive-date=8 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
<gallery class="center" heights="150px" caption="Artificial trees">
File:Fiber-optic Christmas tree.jpg|A tree with fibre optic lights
File:White christmas tree.jpg|White Christmas tree
File:Arbol Navidad 02.jpg|Spanish artificial Christmas tree
File:Chrismon tree stalbans oviedo fl.jpg|A [[wikipedia:#Chrismon tree|chrismon tree]] (St. Alban's Anglican Cathedral, Oviedo, Florida)
File:The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis - Aluminum Christmas tree.jpg|An artificial [[wikipedia:Aluminum Christmas tree|Aluminum Christmas tree]]
File:Y Christmas Tree 2.jpg|Artificial tree
</gallery>
==Environmental issues==
[[File:Poinsettia tree.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[wikipedia:Poinsettia|Poinsettia]] flowers arranged into the conical shape of a "Christmas tree", topped with a "Star of Bethlehem", in [[wikipedia:San Diego|San Diego]] (2005)]]
The debate about the environmental impact of artificial trees is ongoing. Generally, natural tree growers contend that artificial trees are more environmentally harmful than their natural counterparts.<ref name="hayes"/> However, trade groups such as the [[wikipedia:American Christmas Tree Association|American Christmas Tree Association]], continue to refute that artificial trees are more harmful to the environment, and maintain that the PVC used in Christmas trees has excellent recyclable properties.<ref name="acta">{{cite web |url=http://www.christmastreeassociation.org/Article%20Pages/facts-on-pvc-used-in-artificial-christmas-trees |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229105616/http://www.christmastreeassociation.org/Article%20Pages/facts-on-pvc-used-in-artificial-christmas-trees |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 December 2008 |title=Facts on PVC Used in Artificial Christmas Trees |publisher=[[wikipedia:American Christmas Tree Association|American Christmas Tree Association]] |access-date=21 December 2008 }}</ref>
[[File:Recycletree.jpg|thumb|right|Christmas tree [[wikipedia:recycling|recycling]] point ({{lang|fr|point recyclage de sapins}}) in [[wikipedia:Paris|Paris]], 22 January 2010]]
Live trees are typically grown as a [[wikipedia:crop|crop]] and replanted in rotation after cutting, often providing suitable [[wikipedia:habitat|habitat]] for wildlife.<ref>{{citeweb|url=https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/real_christmas_trees_history_facts_and_environmental_impacts|title=Real Christmas trees: History, facts and environmental impacts|last=Sandborn|first=Dixie|date=2 December 2016|website=canr.msu.edu/|access-date=1 October 2021}}</ref> Alternately, live trees can be donated to livestock farmers who find that such trees uncontaminated by chemical additives are excellent fodder.<ref>{{cite news|title=Goats, elk happy to munch on your used Christmas trees|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/goats-elk-happy-to-munch-on-your-used-christmas-trees-1.2885774|access-date=1 January 2015|publisher=CBC News|date=29 Dec 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231183148/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/goats-elk-happy-to-munch-on-your-used-christmas-trees-1.2885774|archive-date=31 December 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> In some cases management of Christmas tree crops can result in poor habitat since it sometimes involves heavy input of [[wikipedia:pesticide|pesticide]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ipm.ncsu.edu/wildlife/christmas_trees_wildlife.html|title=Pesticides & Wildlife Christmas Trees|website=ipm.ncsu.edu|access-date=2 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110211051/http://ipm.ncsu.edu/wildlife/christmas_trees_wildlife.html|archive-date=10 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
Concerns have been raised{{By whom|date=February 2019}} about people cutting down old and rare conifers, such as the ''[[wikipedia:Keteleeria evelyniana|Keteleeria evelyniana]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:Abies fraseri|Abies fraseri]]'', for Christmas trees.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}
[[File:Curbside Christmas trees SFV 2016-12-30.jpg|thumb|Discarded trees curbside in [[wikipedia:North Hollywood, Los Angeles|North Hollywood, Los Angeles]]]]
Real or cut trees are used only for a short time, but can be recycled and used as [[wikipedia:mulch|mulch]], wildlife habitat, or used to prevent [[wikipedia:erosion|erosion]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Engineer Update: Old Christmas trees protect town beach|url = http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/CEPA/PUBS/mar07/story8.htm|publisher = [[wikipedia:United States Army Corps of Engineers|United States Army Corps of Engineers]]|date = March 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824001534/http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/pubs/mar07/story8.htm|archive-date=24 August 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2014-12-25/christmas-tree-recycling-begins-friday-columbia-county |title = Christmas tree recycling begins Friday in Columbia County |newspaper = [[wikipedia:The Augusta Chronicle|The Augusta Chronicle]] |access-date = 26 December 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141226180008/http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2014-12-25/christmas-tree-recycling-begins-friday-columbia-county |archive-date = 26 December 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/286838101.html |title = Recycling your tree can be a gift for environment |access-date = 26 December 2014 |work = Star Tribune |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141226163650/http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/286838101.html |archive-date = 26 December 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref> Real trees are carbon-neutral, they emit no more carbon dioxide by being cut down and disposed of than they absorb while growing.<ref name="sciam">{{cite web |first=David |last=Biello |url=http://www.sciam.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=im-dreaming-of-a-green-christmas-tr-08-12-05 |title=I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas (Tree) |work=[[wikipedia:Scientific American|Scientific American]] |format=[[wikipedia:podcast|podcast]] transcript |date=4 December 2008 |access-date=22 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206023745/http://www.sciam.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=im-dreaming-of-a-green-christmas-tr-08-12-05 |archive-date=6 December 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, emissions can occur from farming activities and transportation. An independent [[wikipedia:life-cycle assessment|life-cycle assessment]] study, conducted by a firm of experts in sustainable development, states that a natural tree will generate {{convert|3.1|kg|abbr=on}} of [[wikipedia:greenhouse gas|greenhouse gas]]es every year (based on purchasing {{convert|5|km|abbr=in}} from home) whereas the artificial tree will produce {{convert|48.3|kg|abbr=on}} over its lifetime.<ref name="LifeCycleAssessment"/> Some people use living Christmas or potted trees for several seasons, providing a longer life cycle for each tree. Living Christmas trees can be purchased or rented from local market growers. Rentals are picked up after the holidays, while purchased trees can be planted by the owner after use or donated to local tree adoption or urban reforestation services.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.christmastree.org/dnn/AllAboutTrees/HowtoRecycle.aspx |title=Recycling Your Tree: Real Christmas Trees are Recyclable |publisher=[[wikipedia:National Christmas Tree Association|National Christmas Tree Association]] |access-date=18 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130406092030/http://www.christmastree.org/dnn/AllAboutTrees/HowtoRecycle.aspx |archive-date=6 April 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Smaller and younger trees may be replanted after each season, with the following year running up to the next Christmas allowing the tree to carry out further growth.
Most artificial trees are made of recycled PVC rigid sheets using tin stabilizer in the recent years. In the past, [[wikipedia:lead|lead]] was often used as a stabilizer in PVC, but is now banned by Chinese laws.{{citation needed|date=January 2012}}
The use of lead stabilizer in Chinese imported trees has been an issue of concern among politicians and scientists over recent years. A 2004 study found that while in general artificial trees pose little health risk from [[wikipedia:lead poisoning|lead contamination]], there do exist "worst-case scenarios" where major health risks to young children exist.<ref name="maas">{{Cite journal
| last1 = Maas | first1 = R. P.
| last2 = Patch | first2 = S. C.
| last3 = Pandolfo | first3 = T. J.
| title = Artificial Christmas trees: How real are the lead exposure risks?
| journal = Journal of Environmental Health
| volume = 67
| issue = 5
| pages = 20–24, 32
| year = 2004
| pmid = 15628192
}}. Retrieved 18 December 2012.</ref> A 2008 [[wikipedia:United States Environmental Protection Agency|United States Environmental Protection Agency]] report found that as the PVC in artificial Christmas trees aged it began to degrade.<ref name="eparept">{{Cite journal | last1 = Levin | first1 = R. | last2 = Brown | first2 = M. J. | last3 = Kashtock | first3 = M. E. | last4 = Jacobs | first4 = D. E. | last5 = Whelan | first5 = E. A. | last6 = Rodman | first6 = J. | last7 = Schock | first7 = M. R. | last8 = Padilla | first8 = A. | last9 = Sinks | first9 = T. | display-authors = 3| doi = 10.1289/ehp.11241 | title = Lead Exposures in U.S. Children, 2008: Implications for Prevention | journal = Environmental Health Perspectives | volume = 116 | issue = 10 | pages = 1285–1293 | year = 2008 | pmid = 18941567| pmc =2569084 }}. Retrieved 18 December 2012.</ref> The report determined that of the fifty million artificial trees in the United States approximately twenty million were nine or more years old, the point where dangerous lead contamination levels are reached.<ref name="eparept"/> A professional study on the life-cycle assessment of both real and artificial Christmas trees revealed that one must use an artificial Christmas tree at least twenty years to leave an environmental footprint as small as the natural Christmas tree.<ref name="LifeCycleAssessment">{{cite web|title=Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Christmas trees—A study ends the debate over which Christmas tree, natural or artificial, is most ecological |url=http://www.ellipsos.ca/modules/news/article.php?storyid=9&lang=english |publisher=Ellipsos Inc. |date=16 December 2008 |access-date=18 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201035904/http://www.ellipsos.ca/modules/news/article.php?storyid=9&lang=english |archive-date=1 December 2012 }}</ref>


==Religious issues==
==Religious issues==
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{{Catholic Encyclopedia poster|Christmas}}
{{Catholic Encyclopedia poster|Christmas}}
* {{curlie|Business/Agriculture_and_Forestry/Horticulture/Ornamentals/Trees_and_Shrubs/Christmas_Trees|Christmas trees}}
* {{curlie|Business/Agriculture_and_Forestry/Horticulture/Ornamentals/Trees_and_Shrubs/Christmas_Trees|Christmas trees}}
[[Category:Popular culture]]