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Welcome
We have confirmed dates for tree festival 2025 as Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th December.
Please put the date in your diary and watch this space for details.
About Ampthill Christmas Tree Festival
When is it?
We have confirmed dates for tree festival 2024 as Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th December.
Please put the date in your diary and watch this space for details.
Taking part
Ampthill Christmas Tree Festival welcomes entries from Schools, clubs, societies, businesses, organisations, churches and individuals. We don't have a theme as it's really just for fun. Trees can be real or artificial, traditional or completely bonkers, it's up to you and your imagination.
There are a few rules but more of them later.
Stuff you may or may not know about christmas trees
Although often associated with pagan tradition, the first modern reference was in Germany in 1570. A Bremen guild chronicle of 1570 which reports how a small fir was decorated with apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers, and erected in the guild-house, for the benefit of the guild members' children, who collected the dainties on Christmas day. Another early reference is from Basel, where the tailor apprentices carried around town a tree decorated with apples and cheese in 1597.
The Christmas tree was first introduced to Britain by Queen Charlotte (wife of King George 3rd) but did not spread beyond the royal family.
Prince Albert is credited with starting the current tradition of Christmas trees in the UK.
While working for inventor Thomas Edison, Edward Johnson had lights crafted especially for his Christmas tree leading to the popularization of Christmas tree light.
The first Christmas tree was erected in the White House in 1856 when Franklin Pierce was President of the United States.
Top tips!
Top tip number one
Top tip number one
Top tip number one
Cut ½ inch from the bottom of a cut tree in order to open it’s pores and encourage it to take on more water.
Top tip number two
Top tip number one
Top tip number one
All fresh trees will benefit from being watered regularly. Take care not to water any electric lights!
Top tip number three
Top tip number three
Top tip number three
Fresh trees are easy to recycle. Over 12,000 tons of Christmas trees will be thrown away each year.
If you are having a real tree this Christmas please remember to recycle it!
Types of tree
Top tip number three
Top tip number three
Norway spruce - the traditional choice and usually the cheapest. It has fallen from favour in recent years, as it tends to shed needles quite heavily. Nevertheless, if well watered and kept away from radiators it will drop fewer needles.
Nordmann fir - the most popular tree these days due to its needle-holding qualities. It has stro
Norway spruce - the traditional choice and usually the cheapest. It has fallen from favour in recent years, as it tends to shed needles quite heavily. Nevertheless, if well watered and kept away from radiators it will drop fewer needles.
Nordmann fir - the most popular tree these days due to its needle-holding qualities. It has strong, straight branches clothed with thick, flat needles with a silvery underside. But it's the most expensive as it's much slower growing.
Fraser fir - this has a good shape and excellent needle-holding qualities.
Blue spruce - this tree has a silvery-blue colour to the thick needles and an aromatic, citrus scent.
Scots pine - a little more unusual, but a wonderful, bushy tree, with extra long needles that don't drop as readily.