Christmas Tree History

There is no concrete evidence regarding the history of the Christmas tree and everyone seems to be having a version of his or her own. It is normally believed that the origin of the Christmas tree started from the Pagan tradition. As per the historical records, the Pagans considered evergreen trees as deities, since they remained green throughout the year; even during the time when other plants withered and died. The evergreen trees were considered the symbol of eternal hope and were first decorated by Scandinavian Pagans. They believed that bringing the tree indoors in winters and decorating it would keep it warm as well as provide a soothing environment for fairies. Here is some more information on the history and origin of Christmas tree.

History & Origin Of Christmas Tree
Some people say that Christmas tree was first lit up by the Saxons, who were a Pagan tribe. They decorated the Christmas tree with candles to illuminate and beautify it. In the beginning of the 16th century, King Martin Luther adorned a small Christmas tree with candles, as to impart knowledge to his children, about stars shining in the darkness of night. Around the same time, religious Christians brought beautifully adorned trees to their houses. In ancient Rome, houses were decorated with green plants. During their New Year, they would exchange Evergreen tree branches with friends, as it was believed to usher good luck. In the early 1600s, paper roses, wafers, candy, apples and sugar were used to decorate fir trees.

As per the history written by an author, Germany is accredited with the origin and proliferation of the traditional Christmas tree. Many people claim that Germans created the Christmas tree by combining Paradise tree and the Christmas light, which consisted of a small pyramid frame with a candle on its top. The custom of illuminating and decorating the Christmas tree by that way was passed on to Finland, Norway, Sweden and many other European countries. During mid 19th century, the trend of bringing the Christmas tree home started, when Prince Albert brought one to the Windsor Palace. Many people claim that Christmas tree came to America in Pennsylvania, during the mid 19th century.

A local church set up a beautifully decorated Christmas tree in order to raise funds. It didn't gain popularity in a go and took some time to be accepted by people since it was a Pagan symbol. By the end of the 19th century however, the trend of setting up a Christmas tree gained much popularity and fashionable adornments were imported from Germany. In Europe, the trees were smaller in height (3 - 4 feet) as compared to those in US, which sometimes touched the ceiling of the house! With the invention of electricity and small light bulbs, the trees were decorated with electric lights and items like candies, nuts, berries, etc.