11 Fascinating Christmas Tree Facts

Test your knowledge about one of America’s favorite traditions with these interesting facts:

1.      In 2019,  nearly 96 million households in the United States displayed a Christmas tree in their home for the holiday season, according to the ninth annual Christmas tree survey from the American Christmas Tree Association (ACTA) conducted by Nielsen. Eighty-one percent of those Christmas trees were artificial, and 19 percent were real.

2.      California, Oregon, Michigan, Washington, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North Carolina are the top Christmas tree producing states.

3.      The best-selling trees are Scotch pine, Douglas fir, Noble fir, Fraser fir, Virginia pine, Balsam fir and white pine.

4.      There are close to 15,000 farms growing Christmas trees in the U.S., and more than 100,000 people are employed full- or part-time in the industry.

5.      For every real Christmas tree harvested, one to three seedlings are planted the following spring.

6.      In 1853, Franklin Pierce was the first president to decorate an evergreen on the White House lawn. In  1889, Benjamin Harrison was the first president to have a tree inside the White House.

7.      President Calvin Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn in 1923.

8.      New York City’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition began in 1933.

9.      In 1963, the National Christmas Tree was not lighted until December 22 because of a national 30-day period of mourning following the assassination of President Kennedy.

10.   Since 1966, the National Christmas Tree Association has given a Christmas tree to the President and first family.

11. In 1979, the National Christmas Tree was not lighted except for the top ornament. This was done in honor of the American hostages in Iran.

References

American Christmas Tree Association

National Christmas Tree Association

The History of Christmas Trees, HISTORY