Mitten Tree Day

Mitten Tree Day celebrates the decoration of Christmas trees with mittens. All individuals and families who observe Christmas celebrate this event on December 6. Small children often wear mittens — they're easier to put on than gloves are, and it's common for them to be attached to each other with yarn that can be threaded through the arms of a coat, or clipped onto a coat's sleeves. The word mitten comes from medietana, "divided in the middle" in Vulgar Latin.

While the origins of this holiday are unknown, it is believed that it is a response to the book “The Mitten Tree,” by Candace Christiansen. In this story, a grandma knits mittens for children and hangs them on an evergreen tree near a bus stop so that those children waiting for the bus who don’t have mittens can use them to play in the snow.

Gloves appear to be of great antiquity. They are depicted in an ancient Egyptian tomb dating to the 5th dynasty. A Paris corporation or guild of glovers (gantiers) existed from the thirteenth century. They made them in skin or in fur. Mittens are warmer than other styles of gloves made of the same material because fingers maintain their warmth better when they are in contact with each other; reduced surface area reduces heat loss.

International Mitten Tree Day is celebrated on December 6th each year, all around the world. This is a great day for people to celebrate the gift of warmth – in your office, your school, your home, or in your community! International Mitten Tree Day is sometimes used to organize donation campaigns to help those in need.