When and why did colorful Christmas trees start becoming all the rage and popular?

[DodgerGirl]

Back in the day when it came to Christmas decorations and Christmas trees it used to be that artificial trees were traditionally green but as time went on I had begun seeing white Christmas trees and I couldn't figure out why this new trend of Christmas trees became popular? Was it to give the tree a snow-white look to make it like a real tree covered with snow during the winter or did it begin a new trend of colorful Christmas decor? Because if you go to any store you not only see white artificial Christmas trees and traditional green Christmas trees but you now see blue trees red trees and bright green trees and all it tells me is that people are changing the looks of their Christmas decor and a bright colorful Christmas tree fits the decor well. And I can see colorful Christmas trees being a fad for a long time

 

[Once.Upon.A.Time]

I just like the unique look of a colored Christmas tree. Our tree is pink with the snow look like you said. I guess it depends on taste. I know it’s not for everyone.

 

[Boopuff]

1960 called…. They want their trees back! No kidding I remember a neighbor had a revolving, silver tree with red ornaments. Truly a sight to behold

 

[AprilsZoo]

White Christmas trees have been around for a long time… my Grandma had one that she got in the late 1940’s or very early 50s. It was aluminum, and all white. Back then you had to string your own lights… no such thing as a pre-lighted tree. And lights got hot!! Hot enough to cause a dried out real tree to catch fire.

Grandma used to like to put white lights on her tree and then use ornaments of all one color. Blue and red were common “themes. It was quite beautiful and striking.

When DH and I bought our first Christmas tree in the late 1980’s, we got a real tree… That’s what he had grown up with. Me? My family had an artificial tree— plastic with individually molded needles and branches… and the thing that really set it apart? It was “flocked”— which means it had a heavy dusting of artificial snow semi-permanently applied.

I sure wish I knew what happened to that tree after mama died. If you’ve ever seen the “Balsam Hill” brand trees (or the fancy ones at Hobby Lobby, our tree was on par with those. It was really nice, even if it was beginning to look like it could stand to be re-flocked.

 

[AgentMama]

Some of the more upscale trees in various colors can really look nice in some spaces. We have a couple of trees throughout our house and while we haven't gone with a straight color (I might at some point) we do have a flocked tree that we love.

 

[DodgerGirl]

The very first white Christmas tree my mom got at Lowes and it was amazing with lights and everything and my mom found that tree on sale at Lowes and she loved it and we still have it today but last year and the year we moved into our house we have had a green tree but today my mother got a really fancy white Christmas tree and Mom loved the lights on it too. But why blue trees and pink trees have become a trend i'll never understand

 

[barkley]

1960 called…. They want their trees back! No kidding I remember a neighbor had a revolving, silver tree with red ornaments.

in the 60's i remember my mom being so proud of her silver christmas tree-it did'nt revolve but she had one of those rotating color discs that was aimed at the tree to make it change colors (red/yellow/blue/green). from what i remember not many people had the life like looking green trees-they were very expensive.

 

[_19disnA]

I think various types of artificial trees have been around for years. We usually had a live tree growing up but then we bought a silver artificial one. Easy to assemble or store in attic/basement and always looked good. I don't think electrical lights were recommended for those either from a safety standpoint or because you couldn't easily add lights. Ours had a colorful bulb on the floor to illuminate the tree. Lasted for many years so was more economical than buying a live tree every year.

I can recall some artificial trees sprayed with something to look like snow but it would fade after a few years and not look very good. Swimming pool stores used to switch to selling trees as a way to expand their business during the Holidays since no one needed pool chemicals/supplies in the Winter. Now you can find artificial trees sold in any number of stores.

Many people also had more than one tree perhaps in a hallway or upstairs landing, so artificial trees were a good option and available in colors/sizes to suit your decor. Live trees can be hard to find and pricey depending on where you live, need to be frequently watered and picking up the dropped needles is a pain. In some cities disposing of the live tree after Christmas can be a problem or you have to lug it to some recycling place. Finding/fixing the burnt out bulbs on a string of old lights can be a huge nuisance. Artificial trees are pre-strung with new types of bulbs that don't seem to burn out as often and don't heat up like the old type of lights, so they also seem safer to use.

 

[DisneyOma]

When did the Peanuts' Christmas special come out? Colorful aluminum trees were all the rage back then

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I have a black Xmas tree. It's a nice conversation piece.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

in the 60's i remember my mom being so proud of her silver christmas tree-it did'nt revolve but she had one of those rotating color discs that was aimed at the tree to make it change colors (red/yellow/blue/green). from what i remember not many people had the life like looking green trees-they were very expensive.

My great-grandmother had one of those silver trees with the rotating color wheels, too. At the holidays my Mom would sit with her in the kitchen of her apartment, and I would spend the entire visit on the sofa in the living room staring at the tree, mesmerized. I absolutely adored it. If I could find one nowadays I'd probably buy it for nostalgia's sake.

I was in Walmart recently. or was it Home Depot? Anyway, there was a black tree with all silver ornaments. It was really quite striking.

 

[john7994]

Not sure non-green artificial trees are “all the rage” so to speak, but the white flocked/Silver have been around for decades. I have seen other creative approaches pop-up allowing for people to embrace different themes for the Christmas season reflecting anything from pride, to Disney, to other festive holiday ideas.

 

[White Cat]

My great-grandmother had one of those silver trees with the rotating color wheels, too. At the holidays my Mom would sit with her in the kitchen of her apartment, and I would spend the entire visit on the sofa in the living room staring at the tree, mesmerized. I absolutely adored it. If I could find one nowadays I'd probably buy it for nostalgia's sake.

I was in Walmart recently. or was it Home Depot? Anyway, there was a black tree with all silver ornaments. It was really quite striking.

I remember those. They were interesting.
Any more now I get a very small real one.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Colorful trees. That's old hat. Behold the new in thing.

https://www.athome.com/a11-pre-lit-led-dress-form-fir-christmas-tree-5/124382938.html?

And here it is. A Mrs. Santa manaquin tree!!! HAHA

 

[Babs Johnson]

My 100% genuine authentic 1960’s silver aluminum tree.



It belonged to my grandmother, then my mother had it in storage for over 25 years before I found it. About 100 branches each stored in individual paper tubes. It’s just in fair shape now. Some of the Pom-poms at the end of branches unraveled.

The color wheel broke about 20 years ago and I never replaced it.

I also have a black tree with white and silver ornaments.

 

[Travel60]

Marketing gurus have to come up with some new "rage" every few years so some people will discard something that's perfectly good to buy the new style.

 

[ronandannette]

Not sure non-green artificial trees are “all the rage” so to speak, but the white flocked/Silver have been around for decades. I have seen other creative approaches pop-up allowing for people to embrace different themes for the Christmas season reflecting anything from pride, to Disney, to other festive holiday ideas.

Agree. Coloured trees have been around for a very long time, but I've never personally seen a silver/white/blue/pink one in anybody's home. The store display ones are very pretty, but not to my taste. About 10 years ago I accidentally bought a 10' shiny black tinsel one at a charity auction - I swear from where I was sitting I thought that thing was green. It was striking and fit the space in the home we had at the time perfectly, so I did use it, but we ditched it when we moved from there. I'd never purposely choose anything other than green.

 

[ronandannette]

Marketing gurus have to come up with some new "rage" every few years so some people will discard something that's perfectly good to buy the new style.

Have you seen those upside-down ones? They're not new, but they've always struck me as something the proverbial R&D department came up with on a Friday night, over beers.

 

[loves to dive]

in the 60's i remember my mom being so proud of her silver christmas tree-it did'nt revolve but she had one of those rotating color discs that was aimed at the tree to make it change colors (red/yellow/blue/green). from what i remember not many people had the life like looking green trees-they were very expensive.

This is why I now have a white tree. I tried to find one of the old fashioned silver ones with the light disks and couldn't so the white was as close as I could come. My granny had one of the silver ones. We always had a real tree because they were cheap and back in the 60s the only artificial ones where the silver ones. I had a real tree up until I started dating hubby. His family grows pine trees in south Ga. and the thought of cutting a tree and putting it in your house was a sin to them. I had a green artificial one for years but it was hard to find the right one to fit in the space. We have those darned high ceilings but the space we put our tree doesn't allow for a real wide tree. I tried 3 or 4 different skinny tall ones and couldn't make it work so I said screw it and went to white.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Agree. Coloured trees have been around for a very long time, but I've never personally seen a silver/white/blue/pink one in anybody's home. The store display ones are very pretty, but not to my taste. About 10 years ago I accidentally bought a 10' shiny black tinsel one at a charity auction - I swear from where I was sitting I thought that thing was green. It was striking and fit the space in the home we had at the time perfectly, so I did use it, but we ditched it when we moved from there. I'd never purposely choose anything other than green.

Yea, I grew up at home with a silver tree - my mom and dad very proud of it. Once I left home and got married, it went the opposite direction, as my wife absolutely wanted real trees, which we've always done now. It appears, silver Christmas trees do not grow naturally - who knew?!