How did it evolve into one of the most celebrated icons of the season? Here, we'll take you through the most useful—and interesting—Christmas tree history. And if you're curious for even more Christmas trivia and fun facts, here's the origin of "merry Christmas" and why we say it and the true story behind the beloved song "White Christmas.
In ancient cultures, the winter solstice was heralded as the beginning of brighter days ahead, an indication that the Sun God was regaining strength. Because evergreen trees retain their color through all four seasons, they were displayed and embraced in coordination with the solstice as a reminder of warmer months to come. In Egypt, a similar mindset was adopted. The Sun God, Ra, typically grew weak as conditions became colder and darker.
The solstice was seen as the turning point in seasons, so Egyptians decorated their homes with palm leaves and branches. Similarly, in ancient Rome, a feast called Saturnalia was held during the solstice, which also encouraged people to celebrate the springtime and bountiful harvest ahead with evergreen decorations.
The true Christmas tree tradition can be traced to 16th-century Germany, where Christians began to decorate trees—or, if times were tough, simple pyramid-shaped stacks of wood— inside their homes.
The tradition of adding candles to the tree branches is most commonly attributed to Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation movement in the s.
Legend suggests he was inspired by the stars in the night sky and wished to re-create the scene in his own home using candlelight. However, it seems it was a one-time occurrence, as Christmas trees wouldn't be seen again in Britain until the 19th century.
Artificial trees, some of them flocked in white, started to become popular in many households. Fun fact: The Aluminum Specialty Company based in Wisconsin, manufactured more than one million aluminum trees between and Pictured here: A family gathers to trim the tree together.
The little boy reaches up to position the glass finial topper, made popular thanks to Brite Star, which was still the top manufacturer of decorations in the mid-century modern era. Natural trees returned to favor, and with a new tradition in their boughs: Department 56 , the well-known creator of ceramic winter villages, established the miniatures tradition into a widely known trend.
In , they sold their first set of houses known as the Original Snow Village. As of today, they are celebrating over 40 years of business, with dozens of villages that are regarded by many as coveted collectibles. Pictured here: The family enjoys newly unwrapped gifts by the fireplace; their color scheme of red and gold is perfect for a Christmas tree. The arts and crafts movement of the '80s made for an eclectic style during the holidays. Family Christmas trees were oftentimes decorated with mismatched ornaments—plastic, tinsel, and glass all combined.
This included a blend of family traditions and personal tastes; even a small, outdated ornament passed down from a grandparent carried considerable sentimental value.
All ornaments were—and still are—given a place of pride on the tree. In the '90s, trees were no longer viewed as simply a fixture in the family living room. With the economic boom of the early decade, professional designers like Christopher Radko and Kurt Adler and department stores ramped up their sales of themed decoration sets with matching textures, ornaments, and colors. Pictured here: This icy blue tree was adorned with baubles, angel and moon figures, and finials all in a wintry hue.
At the turn of the millennium, people returned to freshly cut trees. To meet the growing demand and ensure enough trees for the holidays, land in the United States for producing natural trees grew to , acres. Growers started to plant one to three seedlings for every tree harvested with approximately million Christmas trees. The idea of a Christmas tree theme was still in vogue.
The one pictured here was trimmed with flags, stars, and bulb ornaments in a red, white, and blue patriotic color scheme—perfectly fitting as it was a , an election year. In recent years, tree technology catapulted our holiday traditions into the modern age. Christmas trees started to go wireless with color-changing styles, synchronized music, and LED lights—all of which made for easy assembly and eliminated the need to connect each light string manually. A minimalist aesthetic became popular, as did ornaments that harken back to Old World traditions—Polish straw ornaments, replica kugel ornaments, clip-on candle lights.
The bottom detail of the Christmas tree—skirts, collars, and buckets—became just as stylish as the topper itself. What's trending as of late? Think: More is more. Maximalism has now taken over modernity in prints and patterns. Legend has it, late one evening around Christmas time, Luther was walking home through the woods when he was struck by the innocent beauty of starlight shining through fir trees.
Wanting to share this experience with his family, Martin Luther cut down a fir tree and took it home. He placed a small candle on the branches to symbolize the Christmas sky. Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops.
More than 40, subscribers can't be wrong. During these early days of the Christmas tree, many statesmen and members of the clergy condemned their use as a celebration of Christ. Lutheran minister Johann von Dannhauer, for instance, complained that the symbol distracted people from the true evergreen tree, Jesus Christ. The English Puritans condemned a number of customs associated with Christmas, such as the use of the Yule log, holly and mistletoe.
After Queen Victoria, an extremely popular monarch, started celebrating Christmas with fir trees and presents hung on the branches as a favor to her husband, the layfolk immediately followed suit. However, it was American civic leaders, artists, and authors who played on the image of a happy middle-class family exchanging gifts around a tree in an effort to replace Christmas customs that were seen as decadent, like wassailing. The same poem conjured the modern picture of Santa Claus.
It took a long time before the Christmas tree became an integral part of American life during this faithful night. President Franklin Pierce arranged to have the first Christmas tree in the White House, during the mids.
Though traditionally not all Christian cultures adorned their homes with evergreens and presents, the influence exerted by the West and rising consumerism has turned the Christmas tree into a ubiquitous symbol.
In fact, many people of other faiths have adopted the Christmas tree See Japan for instance. In the U. Annually, million Christmas trees are grown in farms around the world to sustain a two-billion-dollar industry, but because these are often not enough, many firs are cut down from forests.
This is why we recommend opting for more creative and sustainable alternatives to Christmas trees.
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