17. CHRISTMAS TREES. Did you know that they have a surprising range of uses? How do people use them as food and medicine? And what has turpentine got to do with Christmas trees?

When you think of plants that are associated with Christmas, what do you think of first? For most people it’s the Christmas Tree that probably comes to mind.
The tradition of Christmas Trees probably began with the ancient Romans. They had an annual feast called Saturnalia, which they celebrated in December. They would bring evergreen trees into their temples. Saturnalia involved a lot of feasting, wine drinking, and the exchanging of gifts. As often happens when a new religion enters a society, Saturnalian traditions became incorporated into Christmas.
German born Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort, is usually said to have introduced the Christmas Tree into Britain in 1840. In reality, back in December 1800 it was George III’s German wife Queen Charlotte who brought the first Christmas Tree to England.
These days the Christmas Tree can be a completely secular symbol of Christmas celebrations. The tradition is so popular that it has spread around the globe. In the southern hemispheres, where December brings hot weather, people still bring evergreen trees into their homes and decorate them, and lay gifts at their feet.
These days Christmas Trees are usually species of evergreen coniferous trees in the pine family Pinaceae. In this family are cone-bearing  trees or shrubs such as cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces. In this episode I talk about five species of trees that are commonly used as Christmas Trees:
Silver Fir
Abies alba
Veitch Fir
Abies veitchii
Norway Spruce
Picea abies
Douglas Fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii
Monterey Pine
Pinus radiata
You can grow these evergreen Christmas trees in your garden, but make sure you have plenty of space. Mature trees can be truly enormous.
Happy holidays to all Craftsteaders. 
- - - - - - - - - - -
See our photos on Instagram at Mill Cottage, the Little House on the Peninsula
Watch our videos on YouTube at Craftsteading
Visit our website at www.craftsteading.com
- - - - - - - - - - -
With thanks to freesound.org, Pixabay and YouTube Audio Library for their wonderful free music and FX. Special thanks to Nat Keefe & Hot Buttered Rum for their cool bluegrass music.