Q: I read that thousands of years ago people used candles to light up their Christmas trees, I wanna know since they used candles, did the use of candles put the tree at risk of catching on fire? your answer may be as long as possible, the longer it is the more information I can take in my head to learn.
A: "Thousands of years ago" before the time of Jesus, people used flashlights tied to the branches. However in those days, the batteries were as bulky and as heavy as today's car batteries. One flashlight tied to a branch on each side of the tree. That did the job so well that no stand was needed. The batteries were powered by squirrels which ran in wheels inside. Candles were used when squirrels were not available. OR It was only 100 years ago candles were used to light trees. One story has it that Martin Luther, the one who began the Protestant Reformation in Germany, brought a tree home and put candles on it to simulate the stars shining through the branches that he had seen when walking through the woods. As late as 60 years ago, fire marshals were forbidding churches from using candles on trees because of the fire hazard. It doesn't take long for a tree to dry out and become susceptible to the slightest spark. The small Italian lights that are on most trees now, replaced the larger light bulbs because they generate less heat.