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The upside-down Christmas tree is an inverted version of the traditional tree, with roots in a 12th-century European custom. It was popularized by retailers to display ornaments and provide more space for gifts. Some find it creepy, but it comes in three types and has grown in popularity since 2005.
The upside down Christmas tree is exactly as it sounds: an inverted or upside down version of the artificial pine tree typically used as a Christmas tree. With its tip down and its broad base up, the upside-down Christmas tree is seemingly odd to those who hold traditional Christmas trees in high regard. There are several connotations associated with the inverted tree, some negative, but it reportedly didn’t start as a modern fad, but rather as an old-world European tradition.
The modern idea of the upside down Christmas tree is attributed to the retail industry. Some department stores that double up with a Christmas shop every year have decided to invert the artificial trees in order to make the ornaments more visible to the consumer. However, Hammacher Schlemmer, a retailer of Christmas decorations and the upside-down Christmas tree, attributes the concept to a 12th-century European custom of hanging trees from the ceiling.
The gimmick caught on almost immediately, with manufacturers of artificial trees touting the design as not only a better way to display ornaments, but also to provide more space under the tree for gift giving. Whether it’s a marketing ploy or just a holiday decorating novelty that’s caught on quickly, there are those who think there’s something creepy about the upside-down Christmas tree. Traditional Christian folklore says that the Christmas tree is symbolic because it is evergreen, represents eternal life, and because it points to heaven. Obviously, from a symbolic point of view, the inversion of the traditional tree could be looked down upon.
Any connotations aside, good or bad, the upside-down Christmas tree grew in popularity from the holiday season 2005 to 2007. High-end and discount department stores will likely carry these oddities until the fad passes, if it does. . There are three main types of inverted Christmas trees available. One is actually hanging from the ceiling, one is freestanding like a traditional tree, and the third is a half tree hanging on the wall.
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