“Deck the halls with boughs of holly” …and don’t forget the Christmas tree. As if you could! Even the most restrained of Christmas decorators will indulge in a modest arboreal show in December, but which of the many types of tree will you choose and how can you keep it going until Twelfth Night? The answer is by choosing carefully and positioning it wisely and at the right time.
Prince Albert is most frequently cited as the originator of the tradition, but despite his love of bringing spruce trees into Queen Victoria’s palaces and castles at Christmas, the custom is thought to have started in 16th century Germany when Martin Luther decorated a tree with candles to celebrate the birth of Christ. Well before this, pagans were keen on bringing indoors branches of evergreens in the darkest months of the year to remind themselves that all was not lost and that spring
