Insurance Help & Information

From way back then to now:

The secular part of Christmas, from shopping to Santa to the decorating of the Christmas tree, all of it has changed over time.  The Puritans in Massachusetts banned observing the holiday and in Connecticut there was a law forbidding making mincemeat pies.  Today, however, a decorated tree is a sure sign that the holidays are here.

The winter tradition of decorating a tree actually started in Ancient Roman times when trees were decorated with small pieces of metal during their winter festival.  Then during the Middle Ages, an evergreen would be decorated with apples and called the Paradise tree, symbolizing the feast of Adam and Eve which was held late in December each year.

By the 1500’s, the Christmas Tree as we know it appeared in Strassbourg, Germany.  Trees were sold at local markets and people set them up inside their homes, but didn’t decorate them.  There is a record of a tree being decorated with paper roses, apples and candy from 1605.  In 1610 tinsel was invented.  At that time they used real silver and there were special machines invented to pull the silver out into the very thin strips of tinsel.  It was durable but it tarnished quickly!

 In the United States there are many stories of early Christmas Trees.  Some were wooden pyramids covered with evergreen branches,  many started in areas where there were German settlers.  Decorations were made by the young ladies making snowflakes and stars, sewing pouches for sercret gifts of sugared nuts.  They made small bead decorations and used beautiful silver tinsel from Germany.  It was not until the mid 1800’s tht the Christmas tree was widespread in the United States.

In 1851 a man named Mark Carr brought trees from the Catskill mountains to the the streets of New York and opened the first retail Christmas tree lot in the United States.

The first national American Christmas Tree was lighted in 1923 on the White House lawn when Calvin Coolidge was president. 

The Christmas Tree today is obviously a beautiful and memorable part of our shared holiday tradition.

STAYING SAFE WHILE ENJOYING A BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY TRADITION

Christmas tree fires actually are not that common, but for the people impacted by such a tragedy, it makes a powerful reminder to all of us to be extra careful.  Each year there are between 300 and 400 fires attributed to Christmas trees, and and average of 14-40 deaths.  At Florida Insurance Concepts, we hope that these few hints we have to offer can help keep your family safe.

KEEP YOUR TREE WET!

A dry tree is not a good tree.  If you have a live tree, be sure the branches can bend and not break, they should not snap when bent.  The tree trunk should have sticky sap on it.  Once you have chosen your tree, cut off about two inches off the trunk so that your tree will be able to suck up the water.

Make sure that you keep your tree well watered.  Sure, the dogs and cats may drink the water, but you can just keep on refilling the tree stand.  This is the best thing you can do. 

FIREPROOF YOUR TREE!

There is a myth, and you can google the research and mythbusters, but there is a myth that the following formula will keep your tree from burning.  **Caveat** Anything can burn!  Rocks and minerals can burn, so you better believe that wood can burn.

Instead of water, if you can keep your pets from drinking it, mix together 2 ounces of Clorox, two cups of Karo syrup, two pinches of epsom salts, 1/2 teaspoon of borax, one teaspoon of chelated iron (from a plant store) and a two gallon bucket of water. Fill up your tree stand and every single day add a bit more of the mixture from your two gallon bucket.

Here is the science of why this works:

The sugar feeds the tree.  The boron in the borax allows the tree to move the water and sugar to every branch and needle in the tree.  The magnesium from the eposom salts and the iron from the chelated iron provide the ingredients to produce chlorophyll to keep the tree green.  The bleach prevents mold from growing in the solution.  Wah-lah!  A tree that stays wet… and therefore has less chance of burning.

Don’t count on this to work.  Remember to use only indoor lights, make sure that there are no broken bulbs, no cracked sockets, no loose connections and NO BARE WIRES.

Remember that fires start from places other than the tree.  Dont use more than one extension cord, and don’t use more than three sets of lights per extension cord.

When you leave the house — Turn Off The Lights!

Use the warmth of your relationships to light up your home and tree, and leave the candles far away from the tree.

Have a safe and happy holiday!