The Christmas tree tradition as we know it today began in Germany in the 16th century. Added lighting began with Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, who was awed brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens, wired tree branches to recapture the scene.

The <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-christmas-trees" target="_blank">custom was slow to gain popularity in American</a>. Remember, the colonies were founded by Puritans who held to a strict sacred observation of Christmas. In fact, in 1659, hanging decorations brought fines for breaking a law that made any observance of December 25 (other than a church service) a penal offense.

[caption id="attachment_3990" align="alignleft" width="94"]<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/german-tree-cropped.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-3990" alt="Our tribute to our German ancestry." src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/german-tree-cropped.jpg?w=94" width="94" height="150" /></a> Our tribute to our German ancestry.[/caption]

As the numbers of German and Irish immigrants grew, the Puritan legacy lessened. Still, as late as 1840, Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Americans.

<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/queen.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-3988" alt="Queen" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/queen.jpg?w=124" width="124" height="150" /></a>That view began to change when a sketch of Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, standing with their children around a Christmas tree, appeared in the Illustrated London News. By 1846, the custom of setting up a Christmas tree arrived on the east coast.

Early Americans decorated with homemade ornaments, fruits, and garland of popcorn or cranberries. Electricity brought lighted trees. Perhaps the most famous lighted tree is the one in Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree displayed for the first time in 1931.

<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/dec222007_7583-2.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-3989 alignleft" alt="Dec222007_7583-2" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/dec222007_7583-2.jpg?w=100" width="100" height="150" /></a>

Christmas trees play an important role in decorating for us. Even if we're not at home we decorate a tree.  That's our grandson Michael decorating the tiny artificial tree we used the year we went to Frisco, CO, to have ourselves a white Christmas.

<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/tx-ornaments-2.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-3991" alt="TX ornaments-2" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/tx-ornaments-2.jpg?w=112" width="112" height="150" /></a>When we lived in Texas, we had trees in every room. Each tree was special. A tree with Texas state capitol ornaments graced a corner of the dining room.

Two trees with White House collectible ornaments sat on the dining table.<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/white-house-ornaments-2.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3993" alt="White House ornaments-2" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/white-house-ornaments-2.jpg?w=78" width="78" height="150" /></a><a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/white-house-ornaments-1.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3992" alt="White House ornaments-1" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/white-house-ornaments-1.jpg?w=73" width="73" height="150" /></a>

Upstairs in the loft, we set up a Victorian tree with our vintage ornaments surrounded by children's toys...a tribute to Albert and Victoria.<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/victorian-tree-2.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-3994" alt="Victorian tree-2" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/victorian-tree-2.jpg?w=150" width="150" height="112" /></a>

Some years we had creative trees like this one done by our grandson Matthew from giant TinkerToys.<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/dsc03553.jpg"><img class="wp-image-3995 alignleft" alt="DSC03553" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/dsc03553.jpg?w=112" width="112" height="150" /></a>

On the kitchen table, you'd find a gumdrop tree. A tradition started by my Irish grandmother.

<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/gumdrop-tree-2.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-3996" alt="gumdrop tree-2" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/gumdrop-tree-2.jpg?w=112" width="112" height="150" /></a>This year we're in our new home in Colorado in the middle of adding a garage addition with a bedroom and studies above.

All our Christmas decorations are in storage awaiting the new space. :-(

But Christmas will not be Christmas without a tree so we bought a small living tree that we'll replant when we do landscaping in the spring.<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/tree-2-rotated.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-4001" alt="tree (2)-rotated" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/tree-2-rotated.jpg?w=263" width="263" height="300" /></a>

Looks a bit like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.

Soon, our daughter and her family will arrive, and we'll go into the woods and cut a <em>real </em>tree.

Then it'll really feel like Christmas around here.

<strong>YOUR TURN:</strong>

Is a Christmas tree part of your holiday tradition?