The first artificial Christmas Tree was nothing near the fabulous recreations of woodland beauty we see on today's market. In fact, the original artificial Christmas trees were manufactured by a company that made brushes and other materials very unbecoming for a Christmas tree. Today, artificial Christmas trees are more sophisticated and include so many materials, you really must read the materials list to be certain what you are buying.

It is vital to know what materials your Christmas tree is made of, since it could be a matter of safety for you and your family. For example, avoid trees that have plastic needles if your family includes pets, or small children, as they can easily be considered choking hazards. It is a good idea if you have small children that curiously pull ornaments off the trees to invest in one of the pre-decorated variety that have ornaments that will not come off. This affords a kid-proof version of the Christmas tree. Buying a pre-lit Christmas tree has many benefits, first is the elimination of struggling with string after string of lights to see if any bulbs have to be replaced, it will also save a lot of frustration as you are trying to pull your tree together.

Pre-lit Christmas first became commercially available in the 1970's. These early models came with a base that rotated a color wheel that gave off the illusion of dancing lights along the branches of the tree. These retro color wheels are available for those who like this type of Christmas tree lighting. Contemporary pre-lit Christmas trees are very much unlike the retro disco wheel lighting of its roots. Modern lighting is made of fiber optics that extend to the very tip of the branches, or traditional Christmas light bulbs attached to the branches. The latter of the two lights is more affordable and traditional.

The white Christmas tree is another popular tree. These trees are a throwback to the 70's, and can have ...