An account book from Sélestat, in Alsace, dated 1521, is often cited as the oldest written record of trees being cut for Christmas. Back then they were hung mostly with apples, nuts and sweets. Artificial trees are not that new either: by the late 19th century, German craftsmen were making them out of goose feathers dyed green.
These days, every household has its own rules. Some swear by the smell of resin and needles in the carpet, others bring out the same folding tree they’ve had for fifteen years, and others settle for a string of lights on the wall. Vote for your side, then compare habits: when it goes up, the decoration you can’t do without and the day it comes down.