24 Days of Tradition: Christmas Trees
Yesterday, we wrote about the Ukrainian tradition of decorating Christmas trees with spiders and spider webs. But have you ever wondered about the history of the actual Christmas tree? Who was the first person to see a tree and say, “That. I need that in my house now.” Well, as it turns out, answering that is a rather complicated proposition but we’ll do our best to share with you the tale of the classic Christmas Tree.
Accounts of the origins of the Christmas tree are murky. Some claim the tradition originated in ancient Egypt, Rome or China, or that it was first created by the Hebrews. Others believe the tradition came about from ancient European cultures who worshipped trees, such as the vikings and Saxons. There are also ancient traditions that involve decorating with evergreen plants but not entire trees. Some countries, including Georgia and Poland, even had variant traditions of Christmas trees, though they aren’t quite the same as what we know now. So, what’s the best guess for the origins of the Christmas tree? The modern version of the tradition has now generally been pinpointed to medieval Livonia (today known as Estonia and Latvia) and Germany. It was in Germany where decorating trees really became a widespread practice, however.
By the early 1800s, Christmas trees were a cultural point of pride for the German people that slowly spread to other countries through emigration. The introduction of the Christmas tree to North America was thanks to German soldiers. In Europe, the tradition quickly spread to other nations as well but was mostly relegated to the upper class in countries other than Germany. That remained the same until Queen Victoria married her German cousin, Albert, in 1841. Victoria was known for igniting trends across the country and, after having trees on display in the palace, the tradition caught on. Within a decade, any household that could afford one proudly displayed a Christmas tree in their homes.
Since then, Christmas trees have become commonplace and expected. Traditional decorations included coloured paper roses, apples, wafers, sweetmeats, and candles but have now moved to baubles, tinsel and electric lights. So, what’s your favourite Christmas tree decoration?
Tomorrow, we’ll take a look back at another tradition with roots in Germany. Feel free to check out the other traditions we’ve written about as well!
December 1: Cavalcade of Lights — Toronto
