Why Do We String Popcorn on The Tree

Have you ever wondered why we string popcorn on the tree?? 

Christmas trees of today normally have electric Christmas lights, store bought and homemade ornaments and an angel or star on top of tree. Christmas trees of the past in the United States were often decorated with fruits and other items. Stringing popcorn and cranberries into a garland that wrapped around the tree. 

Fruit was used on trees as the dominant religion in Europe often included pagan rituals. A live evergreen tree or branch in the home was popular in pagan times. Whether it was wishes of prosperity and luck with the harvest or to celebrate the name day of Adam and Eve (Dec 24th) the pine was present. Paradise trees were decorated with apples in honor of Adam and Eve

Paradise trees would grow into Christmas trees. Germany all ready decorated Christmas trees and when they came to America they brought the tradition with them. It was Christmas of 1848 before the tradition of Christmas trees caught on. It just so happened that in the winter of 1848 The Queen of England married a German Prince named Albert. The Queen wanted to put a Christmas tree up as it was tradition of the Prince to do. The newspapers would capture the story of the Christmas tree. America would hear about this "Royal Christmas tree" and a tradition would begin. 

So that tells us how Christmas came to be decoration in the home at Christmas but we are looking for why we string popcorn. The origin may not be known but it may have come from necessity. Germans held a tradition of putting fruit on the trees and cranberries were harvested in November and popcorn is often a last of the season vegetable so the two were most likely strung together. 

You will need the following materials:

• popped popcorn (unbuttered)
• popped popcorn (unbuttered, of course!)
• fresh cranberries
• embroidery floss or other heavy thread
• needle
• Place the cranberries and popcorn into bowls to make it easy to access them as you string.

Cut the embroidery floss into 5-foot lengths. This makes it easy to manage. You can connect them later for longer garlands. Thread the needle with the embroidery floss (I used 3 strands), then thread one cranberry down to the end and knot the thread around it to make an anchor.

Thread the popcorn and cranberries in a pattern until thread is full (I did 1 cranberry, 3 popcorns, 1 cranberry, 2 popcorns, etc., but you can do whatever pleases you), avoiding any squishy cranberries

Leave enough of an end to tie another cranberry-knot when you’re done. If you would like a garland longer than 5 feet, leave a length of thread beyond the cranberry knot, which you can tie to the next garland.

When Christmas is over you can put the garland outside and let the wildlife enjoy it