One need not look any further than the Christmas tree for German influence in the United States.
Historians credit Germans with the first printed reference to a Christmas tree, in 1531, and the invention of artificial Christmas trees during the 1800s. Many believe the German Protestant reformer Martin Luther established the tradition of lighting them. The practice would remain primarily a German phenomenon for almost 300 years.
In 1821, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, resident Matthew Zahm made the first known reference to a Christmas tree in the United States. By 1851, Mark Carr had opened the first commercial Christmas tree operation in the nation.
Magazine articles about the British royal family’s Christmas trees during the mid-1800s contributed heavily to the demand for them. Since then, Christmas trees have become a billion-dollar industry.
The National Christmas Tree Association estimates American growers sell 25 million to 30 million real Christmas trees per year. By contrast, about 11 million artificial trees were sold in the United States in 2012.
For many families today, Christmas trees have become as much a part of the holiday as giving gifts and singing carols. They are a lighted signal that the season has begun.
Originally published in Hendricks County ICON, 2016. Republished here for archival and portfolio purposes.