What is Christmas without a sparkling, festive Christmas tree? But have you ever wondered where the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree came from? I have studied the topic and collected top 10 interesting facts about a Christmas tree.

1. There are several assumptions about when the tradition to decorate a fir tree for Christmas and New Year appeared. In Russia the tradition was introduced by Peter the First. However, common people were not enthusiastic about this innovation. During this period, peasants celebrated the evening of Basil of Caesarea, New Year was purely a city holiday. But noble people arranging lush balls began to decorate a Christmas tree with enthusiasm. Of course, the decorations were not the same as at the present time, but the tradition itself was born in that time period.

2. Initially trees were decorated... with flowers. Some sources say that a Christmas tree was decorated with apples, people preserved the most beautiful apples from autumn. Nuts and sweets were also used as Christmas decorations, they were eaten by children later. Instead of garlands people used candles. Obviously, there were many fires. It is believed that fruits and cones on a Christmas tree symbolize wealth.

3. There is more vitamin C in a younger fir tree than in a lemon. According to some sources, pine wine helped the team of the famous explorer, captain James Cook, to successfully treat scurvy — a disease that occurs when there is a lack of vitamins in body.

4. A spruce perfectly cleans air, removes dust and is good even for allergy sufferers. However, it is not necessary to buy live trees in pots in the hope that they will live in your home. Unfortunately these trees don't live long in "hothouse" conditions. Theoretically, such a tree can be planted in the open ground. But not every area is good for this. If, for example, they do not have strong gas resistance, you shouldn't plant them along the highways.

5. A spruce lives 300-400 years (the age of some trees is 500 years). And it takes 15 years to grow one tree. However, fir has the ability to give new shoots from the roots of dead trunks. So, according to Wikipedia, the age of the oldest known spruce taking clones in consideration reaches 9550 years.

6. The most expensive Christmas tree in Christmas history was set in 2010 in the premium hotel Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. It cost 11 million dollars. Of course, the tree itself was not so expensive. But it was decorated with toys of gold and precious stones.

7. In 2007, on the lake Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas in Rio de Janeiro the world's largest floating Christmas tree was set (pictured). Its height was 85 meters. The miracle tree was decorated with more than two million bulbs. And according to the Guinness World Records book, the world's highest artificial Christmas tree was installed in Mexico city in 2009. Its height was 110,35 m. It's the height of a 40-storey building.

8. The first artificial Christmas trees were made of goose feathers and wire. And in1892, the American engineer Thomas Edison and his assistant Edward Johnson created the first garland of little bulbs.

9. Blue spruce is the symbol of two US States — Utah and Colorado. The first blue Christmas tree was brought to Russia in 1858. The tree was planted in the Nikitsky Botanical garden, and cones (male and female) were transported to all corners of the Russian Empire. It is interesting that at home in North America, blue spruce grows in the mountains, at altitudes up to 3000 m, often along rivers. The blue color of the needles adds a wax coating, which reduces water evaporation and protects trees from atmospheric pollution. If the coating is removed, needles will turn green.

10. Spruce needles and cones have many healing properties, so after the holidays the tree can be... eaten! Fir needles are used to make medicinal infusions, tea, wine, jam and even for taking a bath. Jam of pine cones strengthens the immune system. Decoctions of green pine cones are considered to be good for skin cleaning.

Have I missed something? Write in comments what you know about Christmas trees :)