With the launch of Chesterfield’s Festival of Christmas Trees imminent, Tony Hallam looks at the fascinating history of the Christmas Tree.
From time immemorial, the evergreen tree has been endowed with special meaning, particularly in the dark, damp days of winter which coincide with the solstice on December 21. Evergreen boughs hung by ancient people over doorways purported to deter evil spirits from entering the home and guaranteed that sunshine and fresh green plants would return the following year…