What you didn't know about the Christmas tree yet: 7 interesting facts

Everyone thinks they know it – the Christmas tree. Of course: You know which types of Christmas trees there are (fir, spruce, pine), and you've read online that the Nordmann fir is by far the most popular Christmas tree "species" in Germany. You also roughly know what to consider when setting up a tree in the living room (don't place it directly in front of the heater, provide fresh water daily) and how to properly dispose of the tree after the holidays. But there's a lot more to know! We've compiled some of the most interesting Christmas tree facts – seven in total – here.

1. How tall is the tallest Christmas tree in the world?

The tallest Christmas tree in the world is regularly erected in Germany – in Hansaplatz, Dortmund. It measures around 46 meters in height, weighs 40 tons, and has its own entry in the Guinness Book of Records. However, it is not a naturally grown tree, but an artificial construction: over 1,700 spruces are arranged each year on a metal frame to create the impression of a giant conifer. According to Wikipedia, the tallest naturally grown Christmas tree in the world was likely a 67.4 m tall Douglas fir, which was set up and decorated in Seattle in 1950.

2. How many needles does a Christmas tree have?

How many needles does the average German Christmas tree have? To answer this question, one must first know how tall the average German Christmas tree is – because, of course, the number of needles primarily depends on the tree's size. Generally, the German Christmas tree is between 1.60 m and 1.75 m tall, and a conifer of this size has about 180,000 needles. This is, at least, the result of research by the WDR editorial team for the "QUARKS" program. To answer the question, students actually counted all the needles on a 1.63 m tall Nordmann fir. They arrived at the number 178,333.

3. How old are Christmas trees normally?

The age of Christmas trees is determined by two factors: the species and the height. In general, a tree is older the taller it is. However, some conifer species grow faster than others (a Norway spruce, for example, grows about 37 cm per year in its first years of life, a Nordmann fir only about 25 cm), so a 1.50 m tall spruce can be younger than a Nordmann fir that is only 1.25 m tall. Christmas trees with a height of 1.60 m to 1.70 m are always at least 5 years old. XL trees with a height of around 2.00 m are usually 10 years old. By the way, the oldest Christmas tree in the world stands in Saxony-Anhalt, in the cellar of a certain Tilo Giesecke. Mr. Giesecke decorated it 25 years ago, partly with original GDR tinsel – and has not undecorated it since. Of course, the tree is now bone dry, and it would probably lose all its needles at the slightest gust of wind, but since there is no wind in Mr. Giesecke's cellar, the brown tree's needles are still almost completely intact. Touching is forbidden, of course!

4. Where does the Nordmann fir get its name from?

Most Christmas tree fans will associate the name "Nordmann fir" (lat. abies nordmanniana) with the Vikings – those seafaring early medieval warriors of Norway and Denmark, who were only called "Nordmänner" or "Nordmannen" by other Germanic peoples. In fact, however, the Nordmann fir neither originates from Scandinavia nor was it brought to us by the Vikings. Rather, it bears the name of its discoverer, Alexander von Nordmann! The Finnish biologist first identified this fir species in the western Caucasus in the 19th century. Even today, distant Georgia is the number one country of origin for Nordmann firs: the seeds for Nordmann fir cultivation are harvested by Georgian cone pickers at a height of around 40 m and then planted in plantations in Germany.

5. Which Christmas tree is the most famous?

The most famous Christmas tree in the world is certainly the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, which is erected every year in New York in front of the Rockefeller Center. It is always a real, naturally grown tree at least 25 m tall. Thanks to 45,000 LED lights, the tree sparkles like a starry sky, and the first lighting – the so-called "Tree Lighting Ceremony" on December 1st – is an absolutely spectacular show. The artificial tree top, made of 25,000 Swarovski crystals, provides unparalleled glamour in addition to the LED lights. The total value of the tree decorations is approximately 1.5 million dollars. During its "deployment period" from December 1st to the first week of January, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is visited daily by around 500,000 people from all over the world.

6. Which Christmas tree is the most expensive?

The Rockefeller tree may be the most famous Christmas tree – but it is not the most expensive. The title "most expensive Christmas tree in the world" was awarded in 2019 to the Christmas tree at the Hotel Kempinski Bahía Estepona near Marbella. According to the "Börse am Sonntag" portal, it is still considered the most expensive Christmas tree of all time. What made the approximately 3 m tall fir so valuable, of course, was its decorations: these included precious stones and pink, red, white, and black diamonds. The highlight was a red, oval diamond about the size of a pigeon's egg, which alone was worth 5.5 million dollars. In addition, there were high-carat pendants for which jewelry elements from noble brands such as Bulgari, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Chanel had been re-worked. But classic tree decorations also adorned the tree: alongside the diamonds, there were baubles, snowflakes, and nutcracker figures that had previously been gilded with 24-karat gold leaf. The total value of the tree was an estimated 14 million dollars.

7. Which Christmas tree will be the last one you buy?

Admittedly, this question sounds a bit provocative, perhaps even a little dark – and of course, no one can know today which tree you will buy as your last Christmas tree. Unless you decide on a Keinachtsbaum®, or have already decided on a Keinachtsbaum® at an earlier point! Since the Keinachtsbaum® is not a natural tree, but a modular stand for natural fir greenery, it is practically durable forever, and you can reuse it every year. The perfect DIY wooden Christmas tree.

It can – or will – of course always look different (depending on how you arrange it), and its size is even variable. In any case, you'll never again have to drive to the garden center on a cold December day and turn your trunk into a needle collection point. The answer to the question "Which Christmas tree is your last?" for Keinachtsbaum® buyers is: "The one I chose here!"

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• Height 100-285 cm
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