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Where did the tradition of the Christmas Tree come from?Bill Petro:
The Christmas tree is thought to have originated in Germany during the time of St. Boniface, the English missionary to Germany in the 8th century. He replaced the practice of sacrificing to the Norse god Odin’s sacred oak—sometimes referred to as Thor’s Thunder Oak—with a fir tree decorated in honor of the Christ child. According to legend, Boniface discovered a group of ‘pagans’ preparing to sacrifice a boy beneath an oak tree in Lower Hesse, Germany. With a single strike of his ax, he felled the oak and halted the sacrifice. A small fir tree immediately grew in its place. Boniface told the people that the fir represented the “tree of life,” symbolizing Christ.
THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD
In the early Middle Ages, a tale began to spread that when Jesus was born during the harsh winter, all the trees across the world shook off their ice and snow, sprouting fresh green leaves. On Christmas Eve, the medieval Church would decorate outdoor fir trees—referred to as 'paradise trees'—with apples to celebrate 'Adam and Eve Day,' often accompanied by a play.
THE RENAISSANCE
During the Renaissance period, there are records of trees being used as Christian symbols, first in Riga, Latvia, in 1510. The story tells of men in black hats gathering in front of the House of Blackheads in Town Hall Square. Following a ceremony, they set fire to the tree. Whether this event was related to Christmas or Ash Wednesday is still up for debate. I’ve personally stood in that very square during winter, surrounded by snow.
It is believed that Martin Luther introduced the tradition of lighting trees with candles in mid-16th century Wittenberg, Germany. Luther was a prolific writer on Advent and Christmas. One of his students wrote about him saying:
For this is indeed the greatest gift, which far exceeds all else that God has created. Yet we believe so sluggishly, even though the angels proclaim and preach and sing, and their lovely song sums up the whole Christian faith, for 'Glory to God in the highest' is the very heart of worship.
The story goes that after a walk on a winter evening, Luther returned home and struggled to describe the stunning beauty of the starry sky shining through the trees. Frustrated, he went outside, chopped down a small fir tree, and adorned it with lit candles.
In a manuscript dated 1605, a merchant from Strasbourg, Germany, recorded that at Christmas, they would place fir trees in parlors and decorate them with paper roses of various colors, apples, wafers, gold spangles, and sugar. The practice of selling Christmas trees in Strasbourg dates back to the mid-1500s, and the tradition of decorating them likely evolved from the medieval Paradise Play. This play, popular during Advent, culminated with the promise of a Savior and featured a fir tree decorated with apples as a central symbol.
ENGLAND
The earliest recorded instance of a Christmas tree in England took place at Queen’s Lodge, Windsor, when Queen Charlotte, the German-born wife of George III, hosted a Christmas Day party for the children of prominent Windsor families in 1800. Her biographer, Dr. John Watkins, describes the scene:
In the center of the room stood a large tub, within which was a yew tree. From its branches hung bundles of sweetmeats, almonds, raisins in paper, fruits, and toys, all beautifully arranged, and the tree was illuminated with small wax candles. After admiring the tree, the children were each given a portion of the sweets and a toy, leaving them all delighted as they returned home.
GERMANY
The Christmas Tree became widely popular in England, thanks to German Prince Albert, shortly after his marriage to Queen Victoria. In 1841, he began the tradition of decorating a large tree at Windsor Castle. A print featuring the Royal family, with the couple and their children, was published in the 'Illustrated London News' in 1848. Prince Albert also gave trees to Army barracks, and the custom quickly gained popularity. From then on, the tradition of decorated trees spread beyond the Royal family and across society. Charles Dickens even called the Christmas tree a 'new German toy.' German immigrants brought the tradition to the United States, with the first documented tree decorating in 1747 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
AMERICA
Various individuals and communities claim the distinction of having decorated the first Christmas tree in America. One notable story involves Hessian soldiers who fought for George III during the Revolutionary War. While celebrating Christmas in Trenton, New Jersey, around a decorated tree, they left their posts unguarded. George Washington and his troops, cold and hungry at Valley Forge, planned their attack, knowing that the Hessians would be distracted by their holiday and unprepared to defend themselves.
Christmas trees became especially popular in the United States after the invention of electric lights. In 1895, President Grover Cleveland decorated the White House tree with electric lights, and this idea quickly spread across the country.
This article was originally published on Quora. Click here to read it.
