• 10 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Christmas Tree

A decorated tree in its stand, with a close-up of the needles.

Parts of a Christmas Tree

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Star
  2. Presents
  3. Lights
  4. Ornaments
  5. Trunk
  6. Branches
  7. Needles
  8. Tree stand
  9. Garland
  10. Tinsel

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the parts of a growing tree

All 10 parts on the diagram

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Decorations 6

  1. Star The decoration on top of the tree. Some families put an angel there.
  2. Presents Wrapped gifts are put under the tree.
  3. Lights A string of small electric bulbs. Before electric lights, people put candles on the tree.
  4. Ornaments Round ornaments are also called baubles. Many are hollow balls of glass or plastic.
  5. Garland A long string of beads or tinsel draped from branch to branch.
  6. Tinsel They are thin, sparkling strands. Loose strands like these are made to look like icicles.

The tree and its stand 4

  1. Trunk The tree's woody stem. On a cut tree, its base sits in the stand.
  2. Branches They grow out from the trunk. They carry the needles and the decorations.
  3. Needles The thin green needles grow all along each twig. A tree kept in water loses fewer of them.
  4. Tree stand It holds the tree upright. A stand for a real tree also holds water.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two sources use it: (1) Wikipedia, text only: Christmas tree, Christmas ornament, Tree-topper, Christmas tree stand, Tinsel and Christmas lights (star or angel on top, ornaments and baubles, garlands, tinsel, lights and the candles before them, presents, the stand with its water well, trunk, branches, needles); (2) History.com, History of Christmas Trees, https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees (lights, ornaments and baubles, tinsel, a star or an angel on top, gifts under the branches); (3) National Christmas Tree Association, How to Care for Your Farm-Grown Christmas Tree, https://realchristmastrees.org/all-about-trees/care-tips/ (stand, trunk, water, needle loss, lights); (4) WhyChristmas.com, Christmas Trees, https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/trees (tinsel strands called icicles, tinsel garlands, star, presents under the tree, branches, stand); (5) U.S. Fire Administration, holiday fire safety, https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prevent-fires/holiday/ (holiday lights, tree stand). Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; nothing traced. Not to scale. Licence: own work

How it works

A decorated Christmas tree from star to stand. Six of the numbered parts are decorations; the other four are the tree itself and what it stands in.

Read the full guide

The decorations

Number 1 is the star on top. Numbers 2 to 4 are the presents, the lights and the round ornaments. Number 9, the garland, is the string of beads, and number 10, the tinsel, is the thin strands hanging from the branch tips.

The tree itself

Numbers 5 and 6 are the trunk and the branches. Number 7, the needles, is shown in the round close-up. Number 8 is the tree stand, which holds the trunk upright.

  • Garland or tinsel? A garland is one long string draped across the tree; loose tinsel hangs straight down in strands.
  • Ornaments are also called baubles, and the star is one kind of tree topper.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a Christmas tree called?

The tree has a trunk, branches and needles, and stands in a tree stand. The decorations are the star or other topper, lights, ornaments, garland and tinsel, with presents underneath.

What is the star on top of a Christmas tree called?

A tree topper. A star or an angel is the usual choice; the star stands for the Star of Bethlehem.

What is the difference between tinsel and garland?

Tinsel is thin strips of sparkling material. Loose strands hang from the branches like icicles; strips fixed to a long thread make a tinsel garland. A garland can also be a string of beads.

What did people use before Christmas tree lights?

Candles. Trees were lit with candles before strings of electric lights took their place.

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