Christmas Trees

Chairmen are Stephen Lambert  (804 569-1982) and Bob Carter. 

The club has been selling Christmas trees in this same basic area for about 40 years.   Many a story or joke has been told while waiting for a customer to arrive.  This your the club raised over $5400 and donated 640 service hours to the effort.   This fundraising effort goes to benefit:    Hanover Youth Sports (Little League), Hanover Adult Center and Foundation, Hanover Christmas Mother, Children’s Hospital, Stonewall Jackson Recognition Program, DARE Program, FFA State/National Foundation, Jamestown 4-H Center and Counselor Training,  Fourth Grade “Why I Love America” Program and Awards,  Donation of Rudy Bears to local Hanover Fire/Rescue Squads, Sponsoring Hanover youth to attend "American Patriot Conference" (and other activities!)

The tree you purchased today grew only 6" per year.   Each year the trees are trimmed and a tree that is over 6' tall would take at least 12 years of care to make it to your household. 

Please consider buying a tree from us next year!   We in the old Safeway shopping center in Mechanicsville.

A HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE

It is widely believed that the tradition of the Christmas Tree began in Germany where evergreens were revered because they withstood the harsh winter weather and remained green year round. It was believed that the evergreen were a symbol of life and immortality and would ward off evil spirits. These trees remained green throughout the "dead" of winter.   In the early 15th or 16th century, the evergreen tree began to embody a more religious symbol as it was decorated with apples to symbolize expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden. These decorations gradually began to center on the new-born Christ and in particular, the star recalled the first Christmas night and the star of Bethlehem. 

The Christmas tree gradually became popular in other parts of Europe as England's Prince Albert, decorated the first English Christmas tree at Windsor Castle with candles and a variety of sweets, fruits and gingerbread in 1841. The European Christmas tree was generally small enough to be displayed as a table top tree.  Americans did not warm up to the Christmas tree until the late 1800's and early 1900's. Early tree displays were rejected in American towns as paganism. This changed quickly and the Christmas tree became a center of the American Christmas holiday celebration. Americans changed the tradition by searching for larger trees that were ceiling height, replacing European's tabletop version. Americans also changed the tradition by introducing more hand made ornaments and later lights with the introduction of electricity to the household.