Who decorates the national Christmas tree?
The first official "Christmas tree" was planted by the German king Frederick III in 1556 at a festival celebrating his accession to the throne. The tree was decorated with gifts for him and guests from all over Europe. In America, the first Christmas tree was planted by Swedish immigrant Peter Magnus Stenström in Detroit in 1872. It was decorated with candles and fruits donated by local merchants. The practice of decorating the tree with lights and other decorations is said to have begun with Thomas Edison's invention of the light bulb in 1879. Today, more than 10 million lights are used to decorate American Christmas trees. The person who decorates the tree represents our country's spirit of giving. The position of "Tree Decorator" is often given away as a gift during the holidays. Recent trees have been given to presidents Bush, Clinton, and Obama. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated January 26 as National Arbor Day because it is believed that this is when America's original Christmas tree was planted by Peter Stenström in Detroit.