Arbor Day: when, where and how to celebrate it

Have you heard about Arbor Day and would like to find out what exactly this day is all about and how you can celebrate it?

Then you’ve come to the right place: we’ve summarized everything you need to know in our ultimate guide to Arbor Day.

Let’s dive straight into the day of the trees.

What is the day of the tree?

Before we look at how tree love can be celebrated, let’s first tell you what Arbor Day actually is.

In the simplest sense, Arbor Day is a day when we celebrate trees.

We don’t want to bore you with a long philosophical monologue about the importance of trees (although our founder Chris would really love that!).

So let’s just say: Arbor Day is the perfect opportunity to let out the tree hugger in you.

So, now you know what the day of the tree is. But do you know when it is?

When is the day of the tree?

In Germany, Arbor Day is celebrated every year on April 25.

Did you know that this decade is very important for the environment? Some of the world’s brightest scientists are warning that now is our last chance to save our planet.

In this article about the “Twentrees” (the decade that will save our planet), you can find out more about why it is still worth remaining optimistic and what role trees play in climate change.

Tree love around the world – When is Arbor Day in other countries?

The date of Arbor Day varies in different countries. Some countries even celebrate trees for whole weeks!

Here is a rough overview of the dates on which Arbor Day is celebrated in other countries.

Australia

In Australia, Arbor Day is celebrated on June 20.

And because Australians really understand the importance of trees (have you ever been to the outback?!), they also celebrate a National Tree Day (on the last Sunday in July) and a National Schools Tree Day (on the last Friday in July), in addition to Arbor Day.

And hey, if that’s not enough, the Australian state of Victoria is celebrating a whole week of trees.

Canada

Let’s plant a tree, shall we?

Canadians celebrate their National Forest Week during the last full week in September.

The actual day of the tree is on the last Wednesday in September (also known as Maple Leaf Day in Canada).

And then there are a few states that love trees so much that they simply need a few extra days.

Ontario celebrates Tree Week from the last Friday in April to the last Sunday in May.

Prince Edward Island marks its Arbor Day on the third Friday in May, during Arbor Week.

And Calgary celebrates trees on the first Thursday in May.

USA

In the USA, National Arbor Day is always celebrated on the last Friday in April.

The very first Arbor Day was celebrated in the USA on April 10.

The current date for Arbor Day was not decided until 1970. At the 100. To mark the 50th anniversary, President Richard Nixon set the date for Arbor Day for the last Friday in April.

Great Britain

In the UK, National Tree Week is usually around the end of November.

The story of the day of the tree

In Germany, the first official Arbor Day was celebrated on April 25, 1952.

On this day, Federal President Theodor Heuss and the President of the German Forest Protection Association (SDW), Federal Minister Robert Lehr, planted a maple tree in Bonn’s Hofgarten.

Since then, Arbor Day has been celebrated on the same day every year and millions of trees have been planted by nature lovers throughout Germany over the past 70 years.

But that’s enough history now! Now it’s time for our fun facts and 12 super activities to celebrate Arbor Day!

Three fun facts about the Day of the Tree

So, now all the statistics and figures are out of the way. And because we don’t just make sustainability easy at Click A Tree, but fun too, here are three day of the tree fun facts.

1. the oldest day of the tree in the world

The oldest Arbor Day in the world is not the one in the United States, as so many people would assume. Although it was founded in 1872 and is therefore already 150 venerable years old, the oldest Day of the Tree was celebrated in Mondoñedo in Spain in 1594.

2. the oldest tree in the world

Exactly which tree is the oldest tree in the world varies from time to time. However, the spruces in the northern Swedish mountains are definitely among the oldest known trees. Twenty of them are estimated by scientists at Umeå University to be over 8,000 years old.

The North American Scots pine “Sinus aristata var.longaeva” is estimated to be only a comparatively young 4000 to 5000 years old.

This might also interest you: The 12 tallest, oldest, largest and rarest trees in the world

3. worldwide names for the day of the tree

“Day of the tree” describes it quite well. Other countries have gotten creative, so you can also celebrate, for example, ‘Tree Loving Week’ in Korea, ‘The Nation Festival of Tree Planting’ in India and ‘The Greening Week’ in Japan.

Activities for the Day of the Tree

The theory is now complete, are you ready to celebrate?

The most common activity on Arbor Day is, of course, planting trees.

But if, for some reason, you can’t plant trees yourself this year, here are a few dozen activities – both indoor and outdoor – to help you celebrate Arbor Day in a different way.

Seven fun ideas for celebrating Arbor Day at home

Whether it’s because of a virus, bad weather or any other reason, if you’re celebrating Arbor Day at home this year, here are the nine coolest Arbor Day activities that don’t require you to wear pants.

1. be surprised by these 15 fantastic forest facts

There are so many things we can learn from forests and trees. These facts about the forest ecosystem are guaranteed to fascinate you.

2. plant a tree for yourself, the planet or your favorite person

Trees stand for everything that is good. Plant a tree from the couch with our help and dedicate it to someone you really, really like.

Plant trees

3. change your laptop/mobile phone background to a great tree picture

Remind yourself of the beauty (and importance!) of trees every day with a great new tree wallpaper for your laptop or phone.

You can either photograph it yourself or take inspiration from Maja’s tree gallery. Maja is a long-time supporter of Click A Tree and loves taking photos of trees.

4. find out about your favorite tree

Do you already know all his superpowers? Trees can do so much more than just look beautiful and provide shade. One of our favorite trees is the baobab, as it is a real all-rounder.

Here are 7 amazing facts about the baobab tree.

5. read Peter Wohlleben’s book “The secret life of trees”

How often have you walked past a tree, perhaps even admired it, without paying attention to what is actually going on inside? You’re missing out!

Trees have so much more to offer than we can see from the outside. Did you know, for example, that trees are social creatures?

In The Secret Life of Trees, forester and author Peter Wohlleben takes you into the world of trees and shows you how similar trees and people are.

6. start a tree painting competition with your loved ones

It’s as simple as it sounds. Who can paint the most beautiful / colorful / funniest tree?

We would love you to share your masterpieces with us on Instagram!

7. Netflix & Chill

Take a virtual walk through your nearest arboretum or watch one of the incredible tree documentaries you can find online.

Here is our recommendation:

Link to the video

Or would you prefer to spend Arbor Day with your nature-loving friends? Then you should share this article with them so you can choose a fun activity together for Arbor Day.

Five outdoor activities on Arbor Day

Want to spend the day outside? Super! Many people plant trees today, but there are of course other activities you can do on Arbor Day.

1. get a tree tattoo

If you really love trees, there’s no better day than today to get a classy tree tattoo. Of course, this is only for the tattoo lovers among us.

For inspiration, we’ve already asked our community around the world to show us their favorite tree tattoos and explain their meaning.

2. plant your own tree

Like so many people on this Arbor Day, you too can plant your own tree.

If you have enough space in your garden, great! Call your local nursery and find out which tree species is best for you.

In case you don’t have enough space in your garden, you could contact your local environmental champions and ask about community events on Arbor Day. Join in – it’s really fun and you get to meet cool new people!

And, if there are no events near you, you can organize your own. With a little help, it’s easier than you think.

3. dance around a tree and sing funny tree songs (preferably with your loved ones)

Find a tree with enough space around it to start a wild tree dance session.

Come up with unique lyrics to celebrate the tree. Let your love for nature out openly and uncensored.

4. hug a tree. Take a photo. Post it on Instagram and tag us.

Instagram needs more tree pictures – definitely!

Tag @clickatree. And add the hashtags #tagdesbaumes and #twentrees.

5. organize a tree treasure hunt (“Tree-sure Hunt”)

How about a bit of geocaching action on Arbor Day? Or a good old-fashioned “Tree-sure Hunt”, without iPads and smartphones.

Anything is possible with a little creativity.

Helping the earth to heal is a task for us all. That’s why Click A Tree has launched the #freetree4you campaign.

By planting these trees, you are not only combating climate change, but also creating jobs, wildlife habitats and much more.

To be the first to find out which names get to plant free trees, follow our Instagram page.

*Applies to new registrations only.

Now to you

What will your day of the tree look like? What are you going to do? Have you ever celebrated Arbor Day? Do you have any great stories, hacks or tips that you would like to share with us?

Of course you can also plant a tree.

The day of the tree, a wonderful day for a wonderful plant!

What would a world be without trees?