Christmas

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29 oOR EETINGS ОСТ 22 1992 64108 29 GR E E TIN G S Chis lalle

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CHRISTMAS First Day of Issue: October 22, 1992 First Issue Location: Kansas City, Missouri Christmas is a time for traditions. Stuffed stockings are hung above warm fires and mistletoe dangles in strategic locations. No tradition, however, is more deeply en- trenched in the American psyche than the Christmas tree. Whether it be fir, spruce or ponderosa pine, the Christmas tree is the centerpiece of the celebration. The custom reportedly began in Germany during the 8th century. It spread through Europe and was introduced to America by German settlers during the American Revolution. In 1856, Franklin Pierce decorated a Christmas tree at the White House, and by World War I the tradition had spread throughout the United States. Community trees appeared at Madison Square Park in New York, on the commons in Boston and on Mt. Wilson in Pasadena. A mile-long vista of giant deodar cedars was decorated at Altadena, California in the 1920s and became known as "Christmas Tree Lane." Today the tradition continues. Homes throughout America are adorned with brightly-lit, elegantly-decorated trees each and every Christmas. No. 92-128 First Day of Issue Postcard Collection™ ©1992 Fleetwood® Cheyenne, WY 82008-0001 Original painting for the First Day of Issue Postcard by Chris Calle Heelwood