The hot holiday item in Britain this year is the black artificial Christmas tree.

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"Black and white has been a strong interiors trend for a couple of years now," said Susan Rose, the editor of Ideal Home. "If you want to do an elegant, sophisticated Christmas, black is the way to do it."

The simple black tree goes well in the pale and minimalist homes in vogue in the United Kingdom, Rose said.

"Traditional reds, golds and greens are going to stick out like a sore thumb."

Christine Kasoulis, a store buyer, said that usually 10 percent of tree sales occur in October, 40 percent in November and 50 percent in December, reported the Daily Telegraph Saturday.

However, 25 percent of the black trees in stock at John Lewis department stores have already been sold, said Kasoulis.