Artificial Christmas trees are part and parcel of the modern Yuletide. But is it true that the first artificial trees were made from feathers?
'TIS the season to be jolly ... and also the time to marvel at the beauty of decorated Christmas trees.
These days, however, it is common to see plastic trees all decked up instead of an actual pine tree, especially in tropical regions like ours.
But is it true that in the 19th century, even countries in colder regions used faux fir trees made out of goose feathers?
Verdict:
TRUE
It is said that the tradition of decorating Christmas trees originated in Germany and the custom spread to Europe and America.
The custom in Germany at the time was to chop off the tops of fir trees but this made the trees unusable as timber.
This paved the way for the use of artificial Christmas trees.
According to historical records, the first artificial Christmas trees appeared in Germany in the late 19th century and used goose feathers.
An antique feather Christmas tree, note the central dowel. - Courtesy of Melinda Shelton (CC BY 2.0)
The feathers were dyed green to mimic the verdant hues of real fir trees and arranged in a natural tree-like shape.
These feather trees then became widely popular due to their cost-effectiveness and longevity, and became especially prominent during World War Il when the export of real Christmas trees from Germany was halted.
Another advantage of these artificial trees was that celebrants no longer had to trek into the snowy woods to chop down a real tree.
These feather trees, however, fell out of fashion during the 1930s due to an abundance of real trees in the United States.
But it is worth knowing that these pioneers of the artificial tree world were a practical solution to an environmental issue and laid the foundation for the diverse range of artificial trees available today.
Reference:
https://www.
https://saukcountyhistory.org/
