I can't be the only person wondering why New Ulm put up a Christmas tree upside down right? I've seen the photos of the upside-down hanging tree in New Ulm on social media for around a week now, and I finally gave in and asked what's the deal with the upside-down tree, of course, there is a hidden meaning to it. Here's what I found out.

So if you haven't seen it yet, New Ulm, recently had a Christmas tree all lit up, hung upside down, from a crane. The tree, which was set up at Hermann Heights Park brought people from all over to see the spectacle of a HUGE tree lit up, hanging upside down, high above the ground. But why is the tree upside down?

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Why hang a Christmas tree upside down?

The first reason the Christmas tree is upside down has to do with the general shape of a Christmas tree. If you need a hint, it's a relatively triangular shape, if you don't include the nub of the trunk.

A triangle has how many sides? 3 right?

The number 3 also happens to represent the Holy Trinity of the Christian faith.

Why does New Ulm Minnesota hang an upside-down tree at Christmas time?

But how did the tradition of hanging a Christmas tree upside start, and why would a town like New Ulm keep the 'tradition'?

The upside-down Christmas tree is believed to have originated in the 7th century in Germany, started by a Benedictine Monk named Saint Boniface. According to legend, Boniface saw a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree. He then chopped down a triangular-shaped fir tree and inverted it, using it as a teaching tool for pagans.

New Ulm of course, is a very German town, and is home to Schell's Brewery which holds both an Oktoberfest and a bock-poking celebration, has kept the tradition alive as part of the area's history. Here are some pictures from this year's tree 'lifting' ceremony.