A (Very) Short, Colorful History of the Christmas Tree
by www.SixWise.com
As you take in the magical beauty of your Christmas
tree on Christmas morning, have you ever wondered how
decorated evergreen trees became symbolic of the holiday?
Well, it wasn't always that way.
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Christmas trees were not sold commercially in the United
States until 1851 (and back then they were chopped down
from various forests).
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In fact, as late at the 1840s, Christmas trees were considered
a "pagan mockery" of the sacred day, and you could
be fined for so much as singing a Christmas carol or hanging
an evergreen bough, let alone decorating an entire tree.
It all started back in ancient times, when plants that stayed
green through the winter season (such as evergreens) were
revered as a sign of life and a way to ward off evil spirits
and illness.
Prior to Christianity, the evergreens were also used to celebrate
the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year), which
falls on December 21 or 22. After this day, ancient peoples
believed that the "sun god" would begin to grow
strong again, and the green plants symbolized summer and the
sun's strength.
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Tinsel was invented in Germany in 1610, and it was
made out of real silver!
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It wasn't until the 16th century in Germany when decorated
trees as we know them today emerged. Devout Christians of
that era brought the trees into their homes and decorated
them with apples, gilded nuts and paper strips. The Protestant
church reformer Martin Luther is said to have been the first
person to add lights to a tree (candles) to recreate the look
of starlight shining through the boughs.
Christmas Trees Come to America
During the 1800s, German immigrants brought the idea of the
Christmas tree to the United States. The trees quickly grew
from tabletop size to the now-popular floor-to-ceiling height,
but they were still not widespread at this time.
This was because the New England Puritans believed Christmas
trees symbolized frivolity, and they imposed fines on those
who hung decorations for Christmas. As time went on, and more
German immigrants came to the United States, the Puritan belief
system went out of favor, and the Christmas tree prevailed.
Meanwhile, in 1846 Queen Victoria and German Prince Albert
were pictured in the Illustrated London News ... standing
around a Christmas tree. As the royal family was very popular
at the time, people in Britain and America began to emulate
their behavior, and the Christmas tree officially became a
tradition.
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Sources
The
Christmas Archives
The
National Christmas Tree Association
History.com