The practice of decorating a home with pine boughs predates the more modern idea of the Christmas tree by centuries. By the 1600s, the Protestant population of Germany embraced the idea of bringing a tree into the home and decorating it, setting in motion the development of a grand Western tradition that has spread beyond Europe and North America, and fuels an entire industry of tree farms and the manufacture of artificial trees. If you’re celebrating Christmas today, we wish you a merry one.
Happy holidays!
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Groundhog Day arrives—beyond a shadow of a doubt
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Welcome to the Hoh
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The buzz about bees
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International Literacy Day
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In the Highlands for Saint Andrew s Day
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National Garden Week begins today
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Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
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Northern hawk-owl
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Fallen but not forgotten
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Cloudy with a chance of enlightenment
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Talampaya National Park, Argentina
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Relationship status: It s complicated
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Spring equinox
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San Gimignano, Siena Tuscany, Italy
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Autumn in Alaska
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Castle ruins on the island of Halki, Greece
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A sea of swirling stone
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The ruins of a Maya superpower
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Why’s it called a spelling ‘bee,’ anyhow?
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Extraterrestrial Culture Day
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A field of English lavender
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World Maritime Day
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Miravet, Catalonia, Spain
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Group of giant cuttlefish, Whyalla, South Australia
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Methow Valley, North Cascades, Washington
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A red knot on the Shetland Islands, Scotland
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Inside the Oculus
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Celebrating Pie Day is as easy as, well…
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Sparkling ice diamonds on a black sandy beach
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Turning darkness into light