Why we have the royals to thank for Christmas trees

Few things are as synonymous with the holiday season as the Christmas tree, though many don't know we have the royals to thank for its popularity. Of course, the origins of the Christmas tree date back farther than the formation of the royal family, with ties to ancient Egyptian, Chinese and Hebrew cultures. However, the Christmas tree became a holiday staple in England in 1841 as an unexpected result of the late Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert.READ MORE: The key lessons from 91 years of royal Christmas messagesEvergreen trees have long symbolised eternal life and tree worship has been a major part of paganism, even surviving its conversion to Christianity. In Scandinavian customs, decorating one's home with evergreens over the New Year period was common to deter negative spirits.READ MORE: Christmas 'gag gifts' royals have given each other over the yearsAnother common tradition that has withstood the test of time is the use of Yule trees at the entrances of homes during the winter months.Despite the longstanding ritual surrounding evergreen trees, it wasn't until a fateful royal gift that Christmas trees became what they are today.Western Germany had begun using the trees in a popular mediaeval play, representing the Garden of Eden.Coined the "paradise tree," Germans would set them up on December 24 in honour of the religious feast day of Adam and Eve.German Lutherans had spread the custom by the turn of the 18th century. Still, it wasn't a deep-rooted tradition until the original influencers got involved. READ MORE: Growing up Middleton: Inside Kate, Pippa and James' childhoodIn a heartwarming gift, Prince Albert imported a Christmas tree from Germany to use in Windsor Castle.The royal couple was then featured in the Illustrated London News newspaper, which showed them decorating their tree with their children.Before long, the public was sent into a Christmas tree frenzy. By 1860, virtually every well-to-do dwelling in the country housed a decorated tree and at parties thrown for those less fortunate, Christmas trees represented the main attraction.In true Victorian style, nothing about the first iterations of the tradition was very safe. It was common for people to decorate their trees with candles, which proved to be a great fire risk.Thankfully, Christmas trees endured and were later adorned with far safer decorations, including small gifts, sweets, citrus fruits and strings of popcorn. For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.In the mid-1800s, Australia joined in on the fun, though importing live evergreen trees was not realistic. Instead, those celebrating gathered ferns to use for the holiday. By the 19th century, Christmas trees were all the rage and were considered the peak of avant-garde holiday decorating. As time passed, the fashion-conscious East Coast American Society became interested in the new tradition.Before long, the Christmas tree became a significant part of the holiday season. In true à la mode style, Americans preferred their trees to reach the ceiling adorned in commercial décor.At the same time, Europeans favoured smaller trees with homemade and edible decorations. READ MORE: The Queen lives on in the royal family's Christmas traditionsBy 1931, construction workers erected the first Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, quickly becoming an awe-inspiring display for nearly a century. Plenty of iterations of the humble evergreen tree have trended since its rise to popularity in the festive season. As America's Space Age began to dominate the commercial world, a Chicago company mass-produced the first aluminium Christmas trees in 1958.READ MORE: 9Honey visits Sandringham, where the royals celebrate ChristmasRegardless of their expensive cost, aluminium trees became a popular status symbol and even received a fancy name, the Evergleam. Unfortunately, its Christmas reign was short-lived after the 1965 animation A Charlie Brown Christmas tinged its favorability.In the film, the two main characters, Charlie and Linus, look for the last real tree in a sea of Evergleam trees, which doesn't paint the aluminium decorations in a good light. READ MORE: 'Royal history proves the potential of a "spare" shouldn't be underestimated'However, the foil tree was the beginning of artificial Christmas trees, which, according to the American Christmas Tree Association, represent 77 per cent of trees in the US now. Today, the Christmas tree is a vital part of the festive season and is now entirely personalisable to all who celebrate. FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.