History Made Every Day™

The History of Christmas

Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Explore the articles on this page for information about the history of the evergreen and its association with Christmas from the earliest winter solstice celebrations to the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center tree.

Evergreen Traditions

Evergreen trees were an important symbol of winter solstice celebrations.

»Explore Christmas tree history

Trees Around the World

Different cultures have their own tree traditions.

»Find out how people in other countries decorate trees

Rockefeller Center

The giant Rockefeller Center tree is laden with over 25,000 Christmas lights.

»Find out when the first tree was put in Rock Center

Tree Trivia

Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United States since about 1850.

»Get more Christmas tree facts

Additional Tree Resources

Find out how to keep your tree healthy longer and recycle it after the holidays.

»Visit the tree resources page

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