Yule Tree History
No one knows for sure where the traditions of Christmas trees, wreaths, and other adornments come from exactly, and the truth is probably that these traditions came from lots of places, changed over time, and will continue to do so. Many point to Norse pagan religions in regards to the Christmas tree, as the Norse pagan religion venerated trees. As a means to transition that old tradition into the new, some early Germanic Christians placed apples on the trees to commemorate the story of Adam and Eve, whose name day happens to be December 24th. These apples were eventually replaced by ornate Christmas balls of porcelain, plastic, and glass.
Wreaths have a separate history and may have roots in traditions bestowed upon Europe by Egyptians and Hebrews who made the wreaths as a symbol of life and its constant cycles.
In addition to the Germanic tradition of Christmas trees, there are separate traditions in countries in Georgia, Poland and other countries. Whether those traditions are parallel but unrelated or stemming from the same place is up to interpretation.
In any case, what's certainly true is that most American homes will be adorned in some fashion this holiday season. As such, there's going to be some trees, wreaths, and other things needing to be removed.
Christmas Tree Recycle
Before doing anything, make sure to remove all of the lights, wire, tinsel, ornamentation, nails, decorative materials and other non-original parts like the stand. In most cases, trees exceeding six feet will need to be cut in half. Some communities' waste management services will take the trees from the street, but in other cases this is not the case. It's important to find out how your community handles the collection of Christmas trees. Most trees are turned into mulch used for public use.
Here's some large market solutions :
- Los Angeles Area : http://www.lacsd.org/solidwaste/swpp/treerecycle/default.asp
- Orlando Area : http://www.cityoforlando.net/blog/christmas-tree-disposal-and-holiday-recycling-tips/
- Tampa Area : https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/newsroom/2016/12/05/post-holiday-options-for-your-christmas-tree
- Houston Area : http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/christmas_tree_recycling.html
- Dallas-Ft. Worth Area : https://www.tripsavvy.com/christmas-tree-disposal-in-dfw-1004553
- Seattle Area : http://redtri.com/seattle/where-to-recycle-christmas-tree-and-lights/
- St. Louis Area : https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/street/refuse/resident-dumping/christmas-trees-recycling.cfm
- Northern Virginia : https://patch.com/virginia/mclean/how-recycle-your-christmas-tree-fairfax-count
