Long before fake branches and pre-strung lights were a thing, Christmas trees were plucked straight from the ground and hauled into houses to symbolize life and hope during the holiday season. Today, this timeless tradition has been split into two sides: those loyal to the fresh trees and the artificial tree enthusiasts.
So, where did the tree tradition even start? The first written documentation of a Christmas tree was in Latvia in 1510 (National Christmas Tree Association 2024). Latvians decorated a tree with artificial roses and danced around it, then lit the trees on fire. For many years after, Latvians decorated trees with roses to symbolize the Virgin Mary. The idea of the Christmas tree spread around the world for many years. In the 1600s, Germany adopted the Christmas tree, traditionally decorating the trees with apples. Trees were usually only about four feet tall and were meant to sit on a tabletop. Edible ornaments and candles on trees were introduced in France in the 1700s. The tree fad finally reached the United States in the 1800s, thanks to German settlers (National Christmas Tree Association 2024). Trees went from being tabletop size to floor-to-ceiling. They began being sold commercially in the U.S. in 1851, and the first tree was brought into the White House in 1853 by Franklin Pierce.
In the late 1800s, glass ornaments were introduced; they started as just baubles, but soon turned into chains, toys, and figures. The first artificial tree was introduced in 1833 at Sears, 33 limbs for $0.50 and 55 limbs for $1.00. In the 1900s, the demand for real trees was going down, and conservationists were beginning to worry that the evergreen tree population was quickly declining. In 1901, the first Christmas Tree Farm was started. Theodore Roosevelt was president at the time and tried to end the practice of having Christmas trees due to his concerns about deforestation (National Christmas Tree Association 2025). In 1955, the first aluminium trees were introduced and were very popular until about 1965.
Today, approximately 25-30 million real Christmas trees are sold each year in the United States, almost all coming from Christmas tree plantations (National Christmas Tree Association 2025). Indiana is ranked eleven in the U.S. in Christmas tree production, producing around 200,000 trees a year. With all of these real trees being sold in America, and even just in Indiana, what do people truly prefer? A poll was sent to all students and staff at Lewis Cass asking what they prefer: a real tree or a fake tree. 53.8% of the students responded that they prefer a fake tree while 46.2% responded that their preference was a real tree. So yes, fake trees may have won our poll, but the beauty of Christmas trees is that there is no wrong choice.
Clearly, the Christmas Tree has come a long way from evergreens covered in roses in Latvia to trees on the table in Germany. Today, there are just two modern favorites, real or artificial. If our poll was any indicator, convenience seems to win the vote. Whether your tree came from a box or grew in a field, you are still part of the tradition that has molded holiday celebrations for over 500 years.
