The upside down Christmas tree is all the rage this holiday season. An upside down Christmas tree can put a whole new perspective on holiday decorating. While it may seem like a new fad, or even sacrilegious, upside down Christmas trees actually have a surprisingly holy history.

Dating back to the seventh century, history explains that England’s beloved St. Bonafice took a mission trip to Germany where he occupied himself with social work and spreading the message of God. St. Bonafice spent time in the little German town, Thuringia, which was said to be the birthplace of the Christmas decoration. In Thuringia St. Bonafice used the triangular shaped fir tree as an object lesson in order to explain the Holy Trinity consisting of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to the local people. A result of this was that his converts began viewing the fir tree as something of a holy relic. By the time the 12th century came around, particularly in Europe, it became tradition to hang an upside down fir tree as a symbol of the Holy Trinity. According to this tale, the upside down Christmas tree became a symbol of Christianity itself.

In the modern world, the upside down Christmas tree meaning has changed to where the top of a Christmas tree points upward toward Heaven. In reality, the right side up Christmas trees would be considered upside down by the original Christmas celebrants. Though many may assume that an upside down Christmas tree is a sign of contempt, the fact is that a hanging upside down Christmas tree is an ancient way of displaying Christian belief.  The original reason for hanging the fir tree upside down was to be sure that everyone viewing the tree in the person’s home knew it was not just another floral decoration.

Department stores are catering to the people who want to purchase an upside down artificial Christmas tree for their holiday decoration. Claiming that the upside down Christmas trees for sale are not only attractive, but practical as well, they insist that an upside down Christmas tree will not only allow more room for presents beneath it, it will also take up considerably less floor space. The reason that upside down Christmas trees are popular may well be because department stores, in order to better utilize floor space, but still display ornaments that they sell at the holiday season, put Christmas trees upside down on display in the stores, and the novelty of it grabbed the attention of the jaded holiday shoppers who are tired of the typical holiday regalia.

Available for many prices and in many styles, shapes and colors, both lighted and unlighted, upside down Christmas trees command anywhere from under $20 for a table top model, to close to a thousand dollars for a premium pre-lit upside down Christmas tree.  Some of the trees come in a couple of sections and need to be assembled while others are available fully assembled in one piece units. Trees can have lights or come pre-decorated, and are available in many shades of the traditional green as well as silver, white, or even red or blue. With flexible branches, an upside down artificial Christmas tree can be molded into the shape that will best display its ornamentation. Some trees are mounted on turntables so that they will rotate. Upside down Christmas trees can be mounted from the ceiling, or stood upright on a stand.

Claiming that they are easy to decorate, upside down Christmas trees do indeed showcase the ornaments on their branches in a unique way. Not only do they display their ornamentation well, they also make it more difficult for pets and children to access the ornaments, thereby eliminating the mess of shattered ornaments, the safety issue, and insuring that those collectable ornaments are kept whole in a hectic holiday household.

From the charming tabletop models that would make an excellent centerpiece on a holiday table, to the tall and stately inverted pines that would grace any family room, upside down Christmas trees add an interesting twist on the traditional holiday decoration. An upside down Christmas tree will cause guests to take a second look and can be an excellent conversation piece as well as a handy, attractive and unique piece around which to center the holiday festivities.