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Look Up!
It's the Upside Down Christmas Tree

Most people are used to the usual Christmas tree displays that have the tree standing upright, gleaming with lights and decorations with presents piled beneath it.

However, for the past several years, upside down Christmas trees have been making inroads in American homes and apartments as a 21st century Christmas tradition.

While some are outraged or perplexed by the newest trend in holiday decorating, some historians suggest that hanging your Christmas tree upside down is the more traditional -- and perhaps more meaningful -- symbol of the holiday.

According to legend, the original Christmas tree was used as a symbol of religious devotion by Christian missionaries who used the evergreen to explain a basic religious tenet of the Trinity - God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They were originally hung upside down to make sure anyone who saw a tree in the house knew it was not just a floral decoration.

By the 12th century, the German people adopted the Fir Tree as "The Tree of God".

As the original religious meaning was lost, the trees began to be displayed upright with candles and other ornaments as a Christmas decoration.

The earliest historical record of an evergreen tree being decorated for Christmas can be traced back to Germany in 1521. Later, when German immigrants came to the Americas, they brought the tradition of the Christmas tree along with them.

While hanging the tree from your ceiling may not appeal to many traditionalists, today it is definitely catching on, especially in urban areas.

Many city dwellers who are usually forced to rearrange the furniture during the holidays are now quite happy to hang their tree upside down - and leave the floor space available for holiday presents!

More about upside down Christmas trees around the Web:

Upside-Down Christmas Trees - What's Behind the Insanity?

Upside Down Christmas Trees

Hanging an Upside Down Christmas Tree - A Christmas Tree Chandelier?

also see related Feature -> Choosing the Perfect Christmas Tree