The origin of the Christmas tree is a complicated and sometimes uncomfortable history for Christians as we all recognize, to some degree, that it is pagan. Whatever your opinion on the appropriation and conversion of pagan customs by Christians, fans of the Victorian Era and its beloved monarch will be pleased to learn that historians credit Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for starting the domestic Christmas tree tradition in the West by setting up an elaborate one in Windsor Castle for their children. This was apparently the first Christmas tree in England. (Prince Albert brought over this custom from his native Germany.)

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