History of the Christmas Tree
The Christmas tree has always been a symbol of celebration. Ancient tribes worshipped large evergreen trees because they believed the trees represented renewable life. Christians see the tree as a religious symbol, welcoming the birth of Jesus, and are reminded of the holy trinity — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — with a tree's triangular shape.
Today's Christmas tree is one of the most easily recognizable signs of the arrival of Christmas. Join us as we trace the origins of the Christmas tree from ancient traditions to its popularity today in America. We also highlight the benefits of faux Christmas trees, and examine common holiday decorations.
Ancient Traditions
Before electronic clocks and paper calendars, people in ancient times calculated the passage of time by the seasons. The winter solstice, which often occurs at the end of December, marks the point at which the sun is farthest from the earth. This day is also known for having the shortest amount of sunlight.
Ancient communities would gather during the longest night of the year to celebrate the last day of winter, and to welcome the new growth of the coming months. During these winter solstice celebrations, people often looked to evergreen trees as stoic reminders of continuing life through the darkest and coldest winter months.
Evidence of evergreen adoration is seen as early as Egyptian tribes, who celebrated with green date palm leaves. The Romans decorated their houses with evergreens, and Druid priests in Great Britain incorporated the trees and leaves into their rituals.
There is research to suggest people of many different communities and nationalities believed evergreens had the power to keep away evil spirits. Germans and Scandinavians in the Middle Ages practiced this tradition by placing evergreens inside their homes or just outside their entries. Most scholars agree it is from this Germanic custom that today's Christian rituals have grown.
St. Boniface, a Christian missionary who traveled to Germany, is credited with merging the pagan tradition of worshipping evergreen trees with more Christian practices. While the exact story cannot be confirmed, there are two legends. First, some say Boniface incorporated this tradition into Christianity by preaching the triangular shape of the tree as representing the Christian trinity of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
A second story states that Boniface came across a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree and, in anger, he cut it down. Soon after, a fir tree grew in the same spot. Boniface claimed this was an act of God. No matter which legend is correct, the fir tree has since been closely associated with the Christian faith.
The Christmas tree tradition spread throughout Europe, and the first Christmas tree was allegedly erected in the city of Riga, Latvia. A town square plaque pays homage to this occasion, and the phrase, "The First New Year's Tree in Riga in 1510", is written in eight different languages.
Bringing Christmas trees inside the home started becoming popular around the 16th and 17th centuries. The tradition spread to France and Russia, and many German immigrants living in England decorated trees during this time. However, Queen Victoria is credited with popularizing this Germanic tradition in England.
In 1840, the Queen married Prince Albert, a German nobleman whose own family often celebrated with Christmas trees. Soon after the marriage, Prince Albert presented his wife and her family with a stunning Christmas tree, which the Queen displayed in her home. Reports of the couple's Christmas tree tradition spread and, since her Majesty was quite popular through most of her reign, many English citizens followed her lead and incorporated trees into their own family traditions.
The Christmas Tree Comes to America
Although it's not definitive, it's thought that German immigrants are responsible for bringing their Christmas tree traditions to America. Some sources think this ritual was brought by Germans who moved to Pennsylvania and Ohio. Others claim the tradition came with German soldiers fighting with the British during the American Revolutionary war.
Besides the two different stories, there are also several different U.S. cities that claim to be home to the country's first Christmas tree. Citizens of Windsor Locks, Connecticut say it was Hessian soldiers who first erected Christmas trees in the U.S. Yet German settlers are credited with this feat in Easton, Pennsylvania, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Boston, Massachusetts.
Puritanical traditions did not help spread the Christmas tree tradition, but the ritual grew in popularity, especially during the Depression. Since farmers didn't sell many evergreens for landscaping purposes, they instead sold them for use as Christmas trees.
Around 1882, the patent was developed for strings of electric lights, and people started using these more durable lights instead of candles – both indoors and out. The tradition of having an outdoor Christmas tree spread to Europe after World War I, and electric lights remain a common outdoor decoration.
President Calvin Coolidge lit the first national American Christmas Tree on the White House lawn in 1923. The custom spread to New York City in 1931, when workers remodeling Rockefeller Center erected a modest Balsam Fir tree with just a few decorations. Both rituals inspired more Americans to incorporate Christmas trees into their own family traditions. Today, the top Christmas trees sold in the U.S. include the Douglas Fir, Noble Fir, Balsam Fir, Scotch Pine, White Pine, and White Spruce.
Faux Christmas Trees
Artificial Christmas trees were first used as early as the 1880s in Germany. During this time, Christmas trees were becoming so popular so quickly, many evergreen fields were being wiped out. To avoid the extinction of native fir trees, local craftsmen created faux Christmas trees.
The use of faux trees grew slowly over time. The next monumental style shift occurred in the 1960s, when aluminum- or metallic-colored Christmas trees grew in popularity. Some of these unusual Christmas trees featured a revolving light source underneath, which gave them a disco-ball effect.
Today, faux trees come in all shapes and colors, including a traditional evergreen hue, more bluish tones to replicate Blue Spruce trees, or white flocked trees. Artificial trees are also fire-retardant, and don't require watering. Faux trees are a popular option for families with allergies to evergreens, or for those who prefer simpler and easier Christmas tree clean-up, thanks to the lack of scattered, dry needles that real trees continuously drop.
And Frontgate's faux Christmas trees arrive already expertly decorated with super-bright, commercial-quality lights, so you can spend less time decorating and more time with your family. After the holidays are over, our trees are simple to clean up: Each tree arrives in different sections for easier storage.
Christmas Tree Decorations
During the early days of Christmas trees' popularity, decorations were simple. Adults would often place figs, nuts, or other delicacies on a tree. During the main holiday celebration, children celebrated by eating these treats.
Theologian Martin Luther is believed to be the first person to put candles on a Christmas tree. In 1521, Luther was exiled, and legend says he spent quite a bit of time wandering among fields of evergreen trees and contemplating religious matters. It's suspected that after he arrived home, he put candles on a Christmas tree in his house to replicate the stars shining in the night for his wife and six children.
In the 1600s, tinsel made of real silver became a popular decoration to string among Christmas tree branches. Due to easy access to silver and its sparkling qualities, real silver was used to make tinsel up until the mid-20th century.
Glass ornaments have also been a part of Christmas tree décor for many years. Lauscha, a small German town, is credited as the birthplace of glass blown ornaments. Some sources say these ornaments were first created as early as 1597.
Home-made decorations have always been popular. Throughout time, women commonly sewed snowflakes, crafted beaded ornaments, quilted winter scenes, or made other decorations to hang on the tree. Men typically crafted small-scale wood dolls, horses, or other life-like replicas for decoration.
Today, many families celebrate Christmas together by hand-making or hand-painting small decorations and hanging them on trees. Thanks to modern technology, photos are now being incorporated into Christmas tree décor. Sometimes small photos are printed out, placed into a frame, and hung on a tree. Or an artist will hand-paint an image, taken from a photo provided by the customer, onto an ornament. This can create a more personalized tree decoration.
Finally, themed trees are growing in popularity. Some trees boast patriotic decorations, including flags or other regional memorabilia. Other families use only ornaments and lights of certain color themes, or display ornaments based on their hobbies and favorite pastimes.