Christmas Trees: Some Things You Probably Didn't Know

WalletPop Editor

Filed under: Budgeting & Planning, Holidays

by Michelle Hopkins

The Christmas tree ... It's a centuries-old tradition that brings such joy to the holiday season. Each year, family and friends gather around the bedecked Christmas tree to celebrate the holidays.

My French-Canadian father had a family tradition of putting the tree up on Christmas Eve, one he continued throughout his life. It drove us crazy but good old dad would not relent - that's the way it was done in his family and so it would continue in ours! When the revered tree went up though it was quite the celebration in our home.

We would enjoy Reveillon and all that it entails ... tourtieres and cakes!
I don't know about you, but I can't imagine anything other than a real tree in my home, and I'm not alone. Today we put ours up around December 15^th.

Liked this article? Don't miss another one. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook.Have you ever wondered where your Christmas tree came from, how many are sold each year in Canada or shipped abroad, or whether artificial or real is better?

I did. So, I've compiled a few facts about our time-honoured Christmas tree - courtesy of Canadian Christmas Tree Growers Association and the Recycling Council of B.C.

Facts about natural Christmas trees:

It's estimated that 2,000,000 Christmas trees are sold across Canada yearly.
Canada harvests around 5.5 million trees annually.
Of those, B.C. produces between 100,000 to 150,000 trees every year.
B.C. imports about 200 000 trees each year, mainly from the USA.
One acre of trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people and in so doing takes carbon out of the air.
It takes six to 15 years for a tree to mature and bring to market.
The Christmas tree industry creates thousands of jobs in Canada's rural regions.
In 2008 Canada exported most of its trees to the United States. The breakdown of sales per province is as follows: 860,900 from Québec, 540,000 from Nova Scotia, 307,100 from New Brunswick, 11,400 from Ontario, 3,300 from B.C. and 51,600 from Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan combined.
Canada exported 2.25 million Christmas trees in 2006.
In 2001, there were 2,933 Christmas tree farms countrywide.
Canada exports worldwide, including: Mexico, Japan, Cayman Islands, Panama, Venezuela, Bahamas, Nether Antilles, Aruba Island, Barbados, Guatemala, Netherlands, Honduras, British Virgin Islands, Columbia, Jamaica, El Salvador, Antigua-Barbuda, Turks Caicos, St. Pierre et Miquelon, Singapore, Ecuador, Trinidad-Tobago, Bermuda, Nicaragua, St. Vincent and Grenada.
The species that sell the most are the Balsam Fir and the Fraser Fir. The Douglas fir does not agree with our cold weather.
For every tree harvested, two to three seedlings are planted in its place.
Real trees are a renewable resource.

The hard facts about artificial trees:

Most are produced abroad (China, Taiwan and South Korea).
On average, an artificial tree lasts between seven to 10 years.
The main ingredient in artificial (plastic) trees is oil – a fossil fuel and a non-renewable resource.
Artificial trees cannot be recycled.
When an artificial tree catches fire, it puts dangerous toxic fumes into the air, posing health risks.

For more information, visit www.canadianchristmastrees.ca or www.rcbc.bc.ca.

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