The History of Christmas Trees

Whether your Christmas tree is real or fake, as we move into December we all begin the seasonal tradition of setting up our Christmas trees. Centred in our lounges, we drape them in lights, baubles and tinsel before slipping presents beneath them for opening on Christmas day. Many of us do it, but why? Where did this tradition begin and how has it stuck so firmly throughout the years?

The Tradition of Christmas Trees

The evergreen fir trees that we use today as Christmas trees were originally used to celebrate winter festivals for thousands of years. A symbol of life throughout the bitter cold days and nights of winter, branches of the evergreen fir were used to decorate homes during the winter solstice to encourage the arrival of spring.

It wasn’t until the 16th century that Christmas trees were used in a similar way to how we use them today. Germany is credited with beginning the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it, with pious Christians being the first to bring evergreen firs inside the home and decorate them. The first Christmas tree is thought to have been erected in the Strasbourg Cathedral, Germany in 1539. While the Christmas tree tradition may have originated in Germany, it is thought to have been popularised in Britain.

In 1848 the Illustrated London News printed an image of the royal family at the time (Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children) standing around a tree. While Albert wasn’t of German origin, Victoria’s great grandmother was and it is said that she brought decorated Christmas trees into 18th Century palaces.

While traditionally these evergreen trees were decorated with German classics such as gingerbread, nuts and apples, as time passed these decorations were replaced with glass and plastic ornaments, like the baubles we use today.

These days there are any number of ways to decorate Christmas trees. Tinsel in all colours of the rainbow adorn Christmas trees, as well as sparkling fairy lights, artistic ornaments and homemade decorations. A traditional star or angel often tops the peak, giving each tree its unique attraction. We all decorate differently, how do you dress your Christmas tree?

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