Christmas trees weren’t always a staple of the holiday. But today, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a decked-out tree — real or artificial. Cheddar explains how the two competing traditions came about.
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The Rise and Fall of Real Christmas Trees
Emmett “Red” Ormsby has been retired after 19 years as American League baseball umpire, but it's a big Christmas anyhow at the Ormsbys as the tree is trimmed in Evergreen Park, Chicago suburb on Dec. 24, 1941. Clockwise are: Edward (seated), 12; Esther, 6; Robert, 11; Dorothea, 10; Mary, 5; Nancy, 8; “Red”; Ban, 14; Helen (rear), 16; Dolores, 13; Rosemary, 17; and Mrs. Ormsby. Two of the 12 Ormsby children were not present when the picture was taken. (AP Photo/Harry Hall)
