**  The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has more than 25,000 lights strung on more than five miles of electric wire.

**  In 1856, Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States, was the first President to place a Christmas tree in the White House.

**  In 2000, 31 percent of United States households had a real tree, 49 percent had

a fake tree and 21 percent had no tree. 

**  85 percent of artificial trees are made in China from non-biodegradable materials and are thrown away after 10 years.

**  Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states including Hawaii and Alaska.  Oregon

produces the most real Christmas trees.  In 2001, 8.3 million trees were harvested in

Oregon.

**  It takes an average of 5 to 6 years to grow the pine trees typically used for the

holidays. 

**  Thomas Edison’s assistant, Edward Johnson, came up with the idea of electric

lights for Christmas trees in 1882. By 1890 Christmas tree lights were being

mass-produced.

December 2008 Newsletter