By ANNA GILGOFF

Special to The Press

The annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center tree in New York City and at City Hall in Philadelphia draws crowds of visitors each year during the holiday season, and just as many people are decorating their own trees at home.

For many, visiting local tree farms to harvest the best tree is a time honored holiday tradition.

Others choose to purchase their trees from nurseries or even big box stores.

Trees were going fast at Lowe’s Home Improvement, Macarthur Road, Whitehall.

“Starting at Thanksgiving we sold up to 20 trees a day,” said Annette Geinosky at the garden center. “We’ve been getting our trees from Beck’s Christmas Tree Farm, where we’ve been cutting them for years.”

Geinosky said six different types are available from the garden center.

“The best tree to get is the Fraser fir,” she said.

“I think it smells the best and the pine needles won’t fall as quickly.”

At Tall Timbers, Orefield, owner Kevin Klase also had high praise for tree growers.

“Our trees come from the Lehighton area,” he said. “They grow them there. We’ve been dealing with them for 40 years.

“We have cut trees and ball and bagged trees. They’ve become very popular in the last 10 years.”

Some of his customers have lined their property with the same trees they enjoyed indoors where they were fully decorated.

The balled and bagged trees can be taken indoors for Christmas and planted outdoors after the holiday is over.

“We also make our own wreaths, roping and swags,” he said.

“Originally Tall Timbers was a Christmas Tree operation in the 1960s.”

Klase has been running the business for the last 13 years.

The history of Christmas trees can be traced to ancient Egypt when homes were decorated with green palms and papyrus reeds.

In ancient Rome, branches of pine, spruce and fir trees were brought inside to decorate doors and windows.

Some believed these evergreens would ward off evil spirits and even illness.

Centuries later, Germans brought trees into their homes and many attribute the lighting of candles on these trees to Martin Luther in the 16th Century.

The tradition jumped to the U.S.

According to the History Channel, “The first records of Christmas trees being cut for display comes from the 1820s in Pennsylvania’s German community.”

Christmas trees continue to attract seasonal attention.

In Alburtis, Angel Tree Farms are sponsoring a Christmas tree giveaway.

The Christmas trees are given in exchange for donations which will go to the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley.

Trees over 10 feet are priced, but there is no minimum when it comes to donations.

The industry standard is $10-$12 a foot but Angel Tree Farms respectfully leaves it up to the donor and the giving holiday spirit.

Angel Tree Farms welcomes visitors on weekends in December, including noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 20, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Dec. 21 and 22.