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The Christmas tree might not seem like a tradition older than the holiday itself. But as Texas A&M historian Troy Bickham explains, erecting evergreen plants during winter solstice celebrations is a ritual that predates Christianity. When Christmas became a holiday, the practice was simply adapted – and even then, really took place only among Protestants.

It was only in the 19th century that the ritual became popularized. England had an outsize influence on middle-class culture in the English-speaking world, and Bickham tells the story of how an image of Queen Victoria and her tree went viral, launching a tradition that has now become commonplace around the world – even in places where Christianity isn’t the dominant religion.

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