DID you know that the word Arbor means a shady garden or a shelter profuse with plants?

Accordingly, there was a story that sometime in 1660, King Charles II of England declared that every time he observes his birthday on the 29th of May shall be Oak or Apple tree Day, thus the people were happy because it’s a national holiday. This later was known as the Aston on Clun as Arbor Day where all trees are festooned with flags.

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Another story depicts that sometime in 1786, an English custom portrayed that arbor trees given to young brides ensures a good sized family and thus every bride is gifted with a “bridal tree” to ensure a large family.

From Europe to the Americas, Arbor Day was first declared in Nebraska, USA on April 22, 1882 by a certain Julius Sterling Morton, a Nebraska official and which was followed by other countries worldwide.

In 1970, US President Richard Nixon again re-iterated the importance of Arbor Day and declared that every last Friday of April as the US national Arbor Day.

From thence, all the 50 states of the US observed Arbor Day, but later on, the schedule was adjusted by the different states based on the best tree planting weather condition obtained in each state.

Other countries such as Spain and Mexico also observe traditionally the Arbor Day as Tree Festival and National Tree Day. In Japan, it is termed as Greening Week. In Holland, they call it as national tree festival and in Yugoslavia, they call it as reforestation week.

In the Philippines, Arbor Day is on June 25. (Press release)