Spode Christmas Tree fine china continues to be very popular this year among Christmas shoppers. The whimsical Spode Christmas Tree design is beloved by Christmas fans the world over, but it is especially popular in America. The famous illustration got its start way back in 1938, when Harold Holdway, a young designer in Spode's England office, was asked to design a Christmas pattern for the American market. Harold was faced with a dilemma...he had never seen a decorated Christmas tree! In his first sketch the presents were suspended from the branches. "Wouldn't that cause them to droop?" he wondered. He amended his sketches when told the American tradition was to place gifts under the tree. Holdway used another Christmas icon in a most delightful way, adorning the top of the tree with jolly St. Nick. The charming Spode Christmas Tree illustration has been going strong ever since, and today the Spode Christmas Tree appears on a large number of Spode pieces, including not just fine china but also things like trivets, cheese trays, deviled egg trays, Christmas tree ornaments, cookie jars, salad sets, a gadroon bowl, pitchers, a cake stand, a wine bottle cooler, a musical centerpiece, a butter dish...and the list just goes on and on!