The origin of the Christmas tree

When most people think of Christmas, the Christmas tree is unlikely to be too far from mind as most homes will feature some kind of tree over the festive period. This might have been grown in the ground, or it could be one of the many types of artificial Christmas trees that are available to buy.

It’s an integral part of yuletide celebrations, but have you ever wondered why this is so? Why do we go crazy for lit-up, bauble laden trees every winter, and what are the origins of this festive tradition?

An evergreen tradition

A love of evergreen trees has existed among humans since before the advent of Christianity. People from all over the world have believed that evergreen branches and boughs from fir, pine and spruce trees would help keep away evil and for this reason these were hung over doorways and windows. Since ancient times people have believed that evergreens have the power to ward off sickness, witches, spirits and ghosts.

The Chinese, ancient Egyptians, Hebrews and pagan Europeans have all been involved in some sort of tree worship at some point, and the tradition even transcended the conversion to Christianity. In Scandinavia, it became the custom to set up a tree at Christmas and to decorate the home with evergreens for New Year. In Germany, people also placed a yuletide tree either by or inside the entrance to their houses during the winter holiday season.

Born in Germany

Some believe that the Christmas tree tradition began with Queen Victoria, but it seems that it actually came from Germany during the Georgian era. King George III’s wife Charlotte was German, and apparently, she liked to decorate a tree at Christmas for her family.

Prior to this, there was a play about Adam and Eve that was popular in medieval Germany. This play featured a ‘paradise tree’ adorned with apples, which was meant to represent the Garden of Eden. The Germans began to have one of these in their homes each winter, later adding candles and cookies. They also had a ‘Christmas pyramid’ in the house, that was decorated with candles, a star and evergreen branches. These later merged, eventually becoming something like the modern-day Christmas tree.

There’s no doubt that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert did help to make the tradition popular in Britain and beyond. They followed in Queen Charlotte’s footsteps by having a colourfully decorated tree each Christmas, and the public soon followed suit.

Early Christmas trees

Victorian Christmas trees bore little resemblance to the pre-lit Christmas trees of today. The tree then was decorated with candles and paper chains, popcorn, sweets and even cakes, as well as toys and other small gifts which were hung from the branches with ribbon. By the 1800s, Christmas trees were popular in Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and the USA, and they reached China and Japan a century or so later, where they were hung with paper decorations.

Table top trees were at first used, but as bigger trees became available they moved to the floor and people began to place their gifts beneath. Many of those early larger trees came from Norway, and to this day London receives an annual gift of a Norwegian tree, as a thanks for the help given to the country during the Second World War. This tradition has continued since 1947, and the ceremony each year is always the same. The tree is cut down in Norway, then is shipped over to Trafalgar Square. The lights on the tree are always placed going down the tree rather than across, as per Norwegian tradition.

Artificial trees

As anyone who’s housed a real Christmas tree can tell you, real trees look and smell lovely – but they are not the most convenient kind of tree you can get. This is why the first artificial trees constructed from brush bristles were developed in 1930s America. These were soon followed by trees made from plastic or aluminium during the 1950s and 1960s, when they became an instant hit. Mass production soon followed.

Now, people can choose from pre-lit or pop up Christmas trees, that are ideal for those with little time on their hands. You can buy snow Christmas trees too, which feature branches dusted with a thick or thin layer of fake snow. Oddly enough, these are even popular in Australia, where it never snows at Christmas due to the fact that December over there is during the Antipodean summer. The same applies to other hot countries such as South Africa and Brazil.

For some, one Christmas tree will never be enough, in which case they can buy trees of all shapes and sizes. There are table-top trees, super slim trees, fibre optic trees and trees constructed almost entirely from tinsel. Twig trees have also become more common in recent times, and like Christmas trees they can be purchased pre-lit if required.

Christmas trees across the globe

In the modern day, many countries have their own Christmas tree traditions. London receives its annual gift from Norway, while other nations follow their own festive traditions.

USA

The most notable Christmas tree in the United States is probably that at the Rockefeller Centre in New York City. The first tree was placed at the site in 1931 during the Depression era, and two years later was followed by a tree strung with lights. Nowadays the Rockefeller Centre tree features in excess of 25,000 lights.

Mexico

In Mexican homes the main festive decoration is usually el Nacimiento – the Nativity scene, and a Christmas tree is often incorporated into the design of the Nacimiento.

Italy

Italian homes will normally feature the presepio, or manger, which represents the Holy Family at the time of Christ’s birth, and as such guests will kneel before it.

Germany

The modern German Tannenbaum (Christmas tree) is usually decorated by the mother, then revealed to the family on Christmas Eve, lit and laden with goodies.

Norway

Norwegians generally head into the woods to select a tree, which is then decorated by the parents in secret. Once it is revealed to the children, all join hands and sing carols as they dance around the tree. After this, the family will usually open their presents.

An ancient tradition

When you decorate the Christmas tree in your family’s own way this year, it might be pleasing to know that it’s something that probably stretches back for many centuries within your family tree – as well as being a tradition that’s spread across the world.

Artificial Christmas Trees

How to decorate your Christmas tree