Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, is credited with popularizing the Christmas tree as the main decoration of the home, but it was introduced much earlier by the Kings George of Hanover. The traditional fir tree decorated with lighted candles was seen in Regency times, though not so universally as in the late 19th century. The ancient custom of "decking the halls with bows of holly" provided the main decoration for most people. When I was a child here in Vermont, we had some really old-timey neighbors who would observe the holiday by tying balsam boughs to the posts of the front porch. Nothing inside, even if they could fit anything into the jam-packed rooms of their farmhouse.
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