① America’s Traditional Christmas
Americans’ love for Christmas trees is well-known. As Christmas approaches, Americans often visit tree farms. There are 15,000 tree farms across the country. ‘Noble Mountain Tree Farm’ in Salem Oregon, is the world’s largest Christmas tree farm. They sell over 500,000 trees annually.
The amount of money spent on trees in the U.S. each year is known to be $377 million. As soon as December arrives, the first thing to prepare at home is a tree. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that 24 to 30 million trees are sold each year.
Americans believe that trees are worth buying, even if they are expensive. It is an essential element for spending a traditional holiday in the U.S.
In the U.S., the consumption of natural trees, not artificial ones, is high. As Christmas approaches, large Christmas trees are sold on the streets.
Buying a tree at the end of the year is an annual event for American families. In 2020, due to COVID-19, the demand for natural trees for home use began to rise. Sudden increased demand led to sell-outs at tree farms. People had to wait a long time to buy their tree.
Christmas trees need to grow to a certain size for 7 to 20 years to be sold, so there is limited supply.
② Tree Prices Soaring
Since 2021, the price of trees sold in the U.S. has skyrocketed. As time passes, the price continues to rise for various reasons. Among Americans, a joke went around saying they needed to wish for a Christmas tree to Santa. Prices began to rise due to increases in fuel, fertilizer, and labor costs.
In addition, due to climate change, the production of natural trees has decreased, resulting in a supply shortage compared to expected demand. Most Christmas trees are produced in Oregon and Washington. At that time, these regions were hit by floods, droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires due to climate change. Climate change has affected all aspects of agriculture.
This year, tree prices have also increased. Due to the impact of inflation, such as high gasoline prices and transportation costs, Christmas tree prices have soared by 10% compared to last year.
According to the National Christmas Tree Association, the average price of a tree this year is $80-100. This is just an average price; in New York, the price of a large tree is over $500, and it can even approach $1,000.
This year, tree prices increased by $5 per foot, and if the tree height is over 10 feet, the price is even higher. The supply of Christmas trees is still insufficient, so prices have risen even more. A merchant selling trees in New York said, “Big trees are crazy now. You can’t even get them now,” and “A 10-foot tree that was $350 last year is now selling for $550.”
According to a survey by the National Christmas Tree Association, most American consumers expressed concern about recent price increases, but they still intend to buy at least one tree. Due to the price burden of natural trees, demand for reusable artificial trees is also increasing.
One way to buy a tree at a slightly cheaper price is to consider a cheaper species. About 20 types of trees are sold, so the prices vary greatly.
③ Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
The Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, New York, is a symbol of Christmas for Americans. The Rockefeller Center is a small square in front of the Rockefeller Building where Christmas events take place.
At the end of the year, a large tree with splendid decorations is installed. It’s considered a must-see in New York.
This year, a tree to be installed was donated from Bethel, New York. It’s a Norway spruce, donated by a family. On November 29th, the 91st Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony was held in front of the Rockefeller Center. A massive 24-meter tree made its appearance, with over 50,000 LED lights illuminating it. It might be the most splendid tree in the world.
This year’s Christmas event will run until January 13th next year. The lights stay on the day of Christmas for 24 hours, brightening the streets. With the tree at the Rockefeller Center, you can welcome the holiday season in earnest.
By. Sung Min Seo
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