How many estate agents does it take to change a light bulb?
It was time to dust off the Amos Christmas Tree yesterday ready for the big switch-on in Hadleigh tomorrow afternoon but alas the 99p shop Christmas Lights purchased five years ago proved troublesome for the fifth year running and we needed the combined talents of the three sparks (sounds like a boy band) Darren, Tommy and Brad to save the day!
When you think of Christmas, one of the first images to spring to mind is probably a Christmas tree, covered in twinkly decorations, lights and tinsel.
But where did the tradition of having a fir tree in our house and decorating it like this come from?
Many people think the tradition of Christmas trees in Britain started with the Victorians. This refers to the time when Queen Victoria was on the throne, from 1837 until 1901.
Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert were known to be very big fans of Christmas!
However, the tradition actually dates back further than that.
It originally came from Germany, where Prince Albert was actually born, and was introduced to England during the Georgian period, when King George III was on the throne.
He had a German wife called Charlotte, who it is thought used to decorate a tree for her family in the 1790s.
But Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are said to be the ones who made it extremely popular and fashionable to decorate a tree at Christmas like this, which is why a lot of people think that they started the tradition in Britain.
At first, people used to put their trees on tables, as they were smaller. But when it became possible to get bigger trees from Norway, people began to put their trees on the floor, with presents underneath.
The reason that fir trees are traditionally used is because they are evergreen, which means they are still bright green with lots of leaves - even during the winter.
, unlike other trees
Ever since 1947, Norway has donated a tree to London to say thank you for helping them during World War II.
A special ceremony is held in Norway in November, when the tree is cut down in the forest in Norway. Then, it comes over to the UK by sea, before being driven to London on a big lorry.
tree in Oslo, Norway
It is then put up in Trafalgar Square in London using a special crane. It is decorated in the traditional Norwegian way, with strings of lights going down the tree, rather than criss-crossing it.
If you are visiting Hadleigh this Saturday for the Christmas Lights event please do pop in and have a chat with our friendly team.
