What is the history of the Market Square Christmas tree?
There were no Christmas trees in 18th-century Williamsburg. The first “Christmas tree” in Williamsburg was introduced and decorated in 1842 at the St. George Tucker House. Far from the large, grandiose trees aglow with sparkling lights and myriad decorations of today, early Christmas trees were shorter and simpler but no less aesthetic or charming. The early trees typically were showcased on a tabletop and stood no more than a few feet tall. Williamsburg’s first Christmas tree is commemorated with the installation of a decorated tree inside the St. George Tucker House and with the lighting of a large evergreen at Market Square near the Magazine. The tree is illuminated Christmas Eve during a ceremony that includes caroling and brief remarks by a prominent Williamsburg citizen.
