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Few things symbolize the festive season more than a decorated Christmas tree. Usually an evergreen conifer, such as a fir, pine, or spruce, the Christmas tree is emblematic of the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Its spiny branches and shrubs are seen as representing immortality and are said to illustrate the crown of thorns worn by Christ on the cross. The origins of the tree, however, date back further than Christianity and are rooted in winter solstice celebrations observed by the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we know it in the 16th century. Five hundred years later, Yuletide still revolves around decorating and gathering in front of an illuminated tree to acknowledge one of the most joyous and eagerly anticipated festivals of the year. But why is the Christmas tree so significant, and what is its spiritual meaning?
Click through and follow the historical growth of this most symbolic of festive elements.
At the winter solstice, which occurs in the Northern Hemisphere on December 21, the ancient Egyptians, who worshiped a sun god called Ra, would fill their homes with green palm rushes, which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death. The days thereafter began to lengthen and the sun once again would burn brightly. Summer would return.
The Romans marked their winter solstice with a feast called Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. They too decorated their home and temples with evergreen foliage, symbolic of immortality.
The coniferous pine was sacred to the Greeks, who worshipped Attis, the god of flora. According to ancient custom, they would decorate a pine tree in winter with silver trinkets and place offerings under it as sacrifices to the deities.
The fearsome Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god, Balder. They used evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life.
The modern Christmas tree likely originated from the Renaissance in early Germany, during the 16th century.
German theologian and Protestant reformer Martin Luther is generally believed by scholars to be the first to add candles to a Christmas tree. This 1535 illustration depicts a busy family Christmas in his household.
Mystery plays and miracle plays staged throughout Europe in the Middle Ages on December 24—the commemoration and name day of Adam and Eve in various countries—often featured a tree of paradise shaped as a pyramid and decorated with apples—symbolic of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden.
For many, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the tree of paradise they took into their homes as the winter solstice approached. Initially still decorated with apples, soon other fruit was used, then pastries.
By the end of the 16th century, the paradise tree had evolved into the Christmas tree. Still maintaining the shape of a pyramid, the tree was nearly always topped by the Star of Bethlehem. By the 19th century, Christmas trees were a firmly established tradition in Germany.
Britain's Queen Victoria was quite taken with the idea of putting up a Christmas tree and decorating it. And her German-born prince consort, Albert, thoroughly approved. The royal couple subsequently made Christmas trees a prominent part of the holiday festivities, and by the 1850s the Christmas tree had became common in English homes.
As Germans migrated, they introduced the Christmas tree tradition to other countries, notably England.
It was German settlers who also introduced the Christmas tree to the United States, in Pennsylvania. The custom, however, was not initially embraced.
Many New England Puritans in 17th-century America saw the Christmas tree as a Pagan symbol. They also opposed the holiday for the same reason. To them, Christmas was sacred.
It was only in the early 19th century that the Christmas tree gained popularity in America. By then, the influx of German and Irish immigrants had undermined the Puritan legacy. Furthermore, the British idea of celebrating Christmas with a decorated tree, popularized by the royal family, had caught the imagination of many across the nation.
Christmas tree decorations also sold well, first in Europe and then in the United States, after being promoted by ever industrious Germen settlers. At first, trees were festooned with homemade ornaments as well as with apples, nuts, acorns, and stars made of straw. Marzipan cookies and even popcorn also found a place on the pine, spruce, or fur tree, species chosen for their evergreen foliage and long life.
By the late 19th century, no self-respecting Santa was seen without a decorative Christmas tree.
Lighting a Christmas tree became a bright idea, with the invention of glass candle lamps. And the arrival of electricity meant trees could be illuminated by the now familiar string of electric lights to add a more prolonged sparkle to festivities.
Public Christmas trees began appearing in countries in the 1920s, notably in the United States with the National Christmas Tree, first erected in President's Park in 1923. Pictured are President Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge in front of the tree in Washington, D.C. in 1927.
The United Kingdom's most iconic Christmas tree first made its appearance in London in 1947, gifted to the people of Britain by Norway as a token of gratitude for British support to the Nordic nation during the Second World War. A tree is prominently displayed in Trafalgar Square every year.
The large Christmas tree placed annually in Rockefeller Center in New York City has been a tradition since 1931.
The tradition of placing a Christmas tree as well as the life-size nativity scene in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City only started in 1982, at the request of Pope John Paul II. Each year the Vatican accepts a tree donated by a different European country or region.
Glittering against a dazzling backdrop of Art Nouveau architecture, the Galeries Lafayette Christmas tree in Paris is one of France's most famous public Christmas trees.
Every year a Christmas tree is symbolically placed in Manger Square, outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The church stands on what many Christians believe is the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
Decorated Christmas trees illuminate Santa Claus Village at Rovaniemi, in Finnish Lapland. In parts of Europe, it has longed been presumed Lapland is the home of Santa. However, those in North America point to the North Pole as his cozy residence.
A Victorian family gathers around the tree for a family Christmas photograph, taken in 1895.
Los Angeles began living up to its Tinseltown image in this 1945 photograph of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine at night, with artificial Christmas trees and decorations lining the road.
Today, decorating a Christmas tree is an integral part of the festive season. Every ornament used to adorn the tree is believed to have a special significance, with each piece often signifying love, kindness, joy, peace, and goodwill.
Sources: (Britannica) (The Catholic Company) (Time) (National Park Service) (Rome Reports) (Wilmington Star-News)
See also: The stories and legends of Santa Claus
This colorized postcard shows what was then the world's largest living Christmas tree, at Wilmington in North Carolina. The venerable oak was illuminated with 4,000 multi-colored bulbs. It stood 22 m (75 ft) tall with a limb spread of 64 m (210 ft) at its widest. In 2015, the tree was pulled from its roots. In its final days, some believe it was more than 400 years old.
Suddenly festive evergreens were big business. Pictured is a Christmas tree market at Barclay Street Station in New York City in 1895.
By way of paying tribute to the deities of life, and to assure a good harvest, the Celts embellished evergreen trees with gold torcs and pieces of jewelry.
Why is the Christmas tree so significant?
Today is Look for an Evergreen Day
LIFESTYLE Festive season
Few things symbolize the festive season more than a decorated Christmas tree. Usually an evergreen conifer, such as a fir, pine, or spruce, the Christmas tree is emblematic of the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Its spiny branches and shrubs are seen as representing immortality and are said to illustrate the crown of thorns worn by Christ on the cross. The origins of the tree, however, date back further than Christianity and are rooted in winter solstice celebrations observed by the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we know it in the 16th century. Five hundred years later, Yuletide still revolves around decorating and gathering in front of an illuminated tree to acknowledge one of the most joyous and eagerly anticipated festivals of the year. But why is the Christmas tree so significant, and what is its spiritual meaning?
Click through and follow the historical growth of this most symbolic of festive elements.