With less than eight weeks until Christmas, the first signs of the festive season can be felt in Germany.

On Monday, the country’s fir tree growers started to fell their Christmas trees in anticipation.

“For us, it’s actually just before Christmas now," Eberhard Hennecke told The Associated Press on Monday in the western Sauerland region.

“The harvest is beginning here, and that naturally means things are getting a little hectic.”

Germans have been celebrating Christmas with decorated trees for centuries.

In the 19th century the tradition spread elsewhere in Europe, and immigrants took the custom to the United States.

Hennecke grows eight different varieties of conifer trees on 300 hectares of forest.

Among them is the Nordmann fir - the most popular and best-selling Christmas tree in Germany.

Hennecke said the region produces around a third of Germany's Christmas trees.

Most trees are sold in cities.

But it has become increasingly popular for families to cut down trees on site.

Some tree farms now offer mulled wine and snacks.

AP video shot by Daniel Niemann