Getting Personal

                O Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, what will thou give to me?
            
                “O Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree” is the start of a carol that pays homage to the humble Christmas tree. Early on, the carol celebrates the vibrant green of the tree's leaves, both during the summer and winter months. Clearly, whoever wrote this poem was very fond of these little trees; and maybe he or she used to receive them as Christmas Presents, or perhaps even used their favourite tree to hide Christmas Presents underneath.
 
Christmas carols have a long and proud history that stretches back to the 13th century; originally sung as communal songs, carols were initially used for other festivities in addition to the festival of Christmas, but later on moved to church and became associated with only one thing. Once carols had moved into the realm of religion and Christmas, they became adversely affected by moves towards Protestantism, before enjoying a period of revival during the 19th century. Indeed, some of the most popular Christmas carols, “God RestYe Merry, Gentlement”, and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” first appeared in print in 1833, after the publication of Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern.
 
But when it comes to O Christmas tree Oh Christmas tree, what's behind the praise for one of the most celebrated plants known to humanity? Perfect for storing Christmas Presents before the big day on December 25th, Christmas trees are both evergreen and coniferous – although they can appear in a number of other guises.
 
Natural trees, such as the Norfolk Island Pine, the Scots Pine, the Noble Fir and the Balsam Fir are all well-and-good, but there are a whole host of non-natural Christmas tree alternatives. When artificial trees first became available, were anyone to want to place their Christmas Presents under a replica tree, they would place them beneath trees made from feathers. However, modern artificial trees are likely to be made from plastic, which can mimic the real thing to a greater or lesser extent. And while outdoor trees may not be quite so suitable for hiding Christmas Presents, versions made from white-enamelled steel are available.
 
So, when it comes to putting Christmas Presents under the tree, what are the best things to consider? If you're expecting a visit from the grandparents over the Christmas period, why not treat them to a beautiful Photo Frame. Double frames in particular are an ideal way for grandparents to show their affection for one another, and display those long-cherished family photos. However, when choosing a frame, there are a number of different designs and styles to consider, including digital picture frames, which are becoming increasingly popular. Often designed to work only with JPEG images, these picture frames enable the display of digital photographic content without the need to use a computer.
 
But what about  Christmas Presents for the kids? Well, for children who have almost everything, and like to do their best to rebel, why not treat them to Billy Odd Socks? Featuring a total of ten different – and completely odd – socks, this selection can make at least 45 different stripy sock combinations; which is great news for anyone with a tendency to randomly develop a hole in one of their socks.
 
Holes in socks are funny things. You can check your socks first thing in the morning, and everything looks intact, but then when the end of the day arrives, you find out that one of them has sprung a hole; and holes never seem to appear in both socks at the same time, leaving you with the dilemma of whether to throw away the single sock, or to get rid of the whole pair. At least with the Billy Odd Socks set, that dilemma can be a thing of the past; or it maybe that you're so eager to keep hold of every sock that you single-handedly reawaken an interest in darning. After all, some  Christmas Presents are too good to ever throw away.