Fun Facts About Christmas Trees
Every winter, Christmas trees bring a cozy burst of forest color and holiday cheer indoors. Long before twinkling electric lights, people brought evergreens inside to celebrate winter festivals and look forward to spring. Here are a few neat things to know about these iconic trees:
Always green: Most Christmas trees are conifers, meaning their sturdy needles stay bright and green all through freezing snowy weather.
Forest-fresh scent: The crisp, cozy smell of a pine or fir tree comes from natural tree oils called terpenes, which help protect the tree from bugs.
Edible ornaments: Long before lights and ornaments existed, families decorated their branches with tasty treats like apples, popcorn strings, gingerbread, and nuts.
Slow and steady: It usually takes between 7 and 10 years of sunshine, rain, and soil for a tiny seedling to grow into a full-sized Christmas tree.
Critter hotels: Evergreen trees make wonderful cozy homes and wind shelters for winter birds, mice, and busy squirrels.
