Snow-covered evergreens standing in the woods are merely trees. Once decorated, they become CHRISTMAS TREES. Over the centuries people have adorned their Christmas trees with many different kinds of objects.

When Pope Gregory XIII established the Gregorian calendar in 1582, he ushered in an era in which the people of Europe disagreed on what day it was. As a result, they celebrated Christmas on different days. Before the Gregorian reform Europe had adhered to the Julian calendar, which was a full ten days behind the newly instituted Gregorian calendar.