The Tree

Christmas wouldn’t be special if there wasn’t a Christmas tree in every home.

For those who love real Christmas trees, it will be an evergreen tree, such as a fir or a pine, that is decorated with lights and other festive decorations.

But many people also prefer artificial Christmas trees, and they range in styles from being realistic to artistic creations that include different colours, materials or even look like a stylish tree branch.

We put up Christmas trees to decorate our homes and to add a festive atmosphere during the festivities. The tradition is thought to originate from Germany, where the first recorded use of a Christmas tree was in the 16th century.

Today, Christmas trees are decorated with lights, tinsel and other festive decorations.

These decorations, and the trees, can be bought from many places, including supermarkets, garden centres, Christmas tree farms and online.

The Christmas.co.uk team regularly updates these pages with tips and advice on which Christmas tree to buy, how to care for a tree – and what to do with them after Christmas.