Oh Christmas Tree, What Do You Have to Do with Christ?

The annual celebration of Christmas has grown in many different ways throughout history; however, there are several traditions that belong to Christmas that have remained somewhat the same.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus; however, it has become much more closely tied with themes of goodwill, peace on earth, giving, compassion and family. Some of the traditions that are classically devoted to Christmas include the Nativity scene, the gift exchange, Santa Claus, Christmas cards, stockings, wreaths, advent calendars and Christmas trees.

Christmas trees are typically evergreen coniferous trees, or fake trees that resemble evergreens, and are brought into the home, decorated with lights and ornaments, and displayed throughout the holiday season. These are also typically displayed near a window to be viewed from outside and of course the wrapped Christmas presents are displayed underneath the tree.

To an outsider, this tradition may seem strange; however, to millions of Christians and others who celebrate the Christmas holiday, it is part of the norm.

Historically, Christmas trees were not brought into the home until Christmas Eve. They were then removed after twelve nights. To have a tree up before the 24th of December used to be considered bad luck. The reason trees are displayed so much earlier now has to deal with commercialism. Vendors and retailers who displayed trees earlier won shoppers and sales. Eventually, the earlier display of Christmas decorations included shops and homes. In America, it is traditional to display the Christmas tree starting the weekend after Thanksgiving through New Year's Day.

The best type of natural tree to use for a Christmas tree is a Silver Fir or a Nordmann Fir. These trees tend to not shed as readily. They also have great color and scent.

The Balsam Fir and Fraser Fir are most common in North America.

Other confers including the Giant Sequoia, Leyland cypress and Eastern juniper is also commonly used. The blue spruce is also semi-popular; its sharp needles tend to make decorating a bit more of a chore.

Some Christmas trees are sold with roots and soil so they can be replanted. Most of the natural trees do not survive the season indoors with low humidity. Most Christmas trees in North America are purchased from Christmas tree farms and are replaced. Christmas trees are typically harvested when they are ten years old.

Uses of artifical trees are certainly on the rise, they are often safer and less messy than natural trees. They can also be easily stored and used year after year.

Feather trees made from green-dyed goose feathers were the first kind of artificial trees. These originated in Germany and were intended to prevent deforestation. The first feather trees came to the U.S. in the Sears catalog.
Metallic artificial trees appeared in the 1950s and 1960s. The original trees of this style were highly flammable; more recent versions use flame retardant materials.

The latest artificial trees come with lights and decorations included.

The history of Christmas trees is slightly complicated; the origin is rooted in Germanic tribes who used patron trees as sacred symbols and objects.

Among early Germanic tribes, slaves and male animals were sacrificed by being hanged on the branches of trees in order to celebrate the Yule or winter solstice. In Scandinavia, Pagan kings sacrificed nine males of each species at the sacred groves.

Another legend has it that Saint Boniface used the cone-shaped evergreen trees to try and explain the trinity to Pagans based on the tree's triangular shape. The pagan idea that evergreen trees represent life renewal is what eventually led to the Christian use of the evergreen tree to celebrate the birth of our Savior, who renews our lives.
The modern custom though, was formed from the 16th century German custom of decorating a small fir with apples, nuts, pretzels and dates for the Bremen guild chronicle's members' children. The children would collect the treats on Christmas day.

Riga, Latvia also claims the first holiday tree in 1510. The custom entered homes during the 1600's.

The custom then spread throughout the European continent and was regarded as a Protestant custom until the early 1800s when Princess Henrietta von Nassau-Weilburg introduced the Christmas tree to Vienna in 1816. Austria and France soon became filled with Christmas trees.

In Britain, King George III's German Queen introduced the tree, however, the tradition stayed within the royal family for some time until 1847. It was then that Prince Albert and Queen Victoria infiltrated the tradition and custom through donations of trees to schools and army barracks.

There is also much controversy involved with Christmas trees. Holiday trees are considered to be a more politically correct term as of the 1990s. Many Christian groups refuse to acknowledge the term 'holiday tree' because it is considered to be part of the "war on Christmas."

Also, there are some Christians who do not use a Christmas tree because of certain Biblical passages contained in Jeremiah. Many churches, however, decorate the sanctuary with trees during the Christmas season and sometimes use the same trees to carve a cross for the Easter holiday, which represents the cross on which Christ died.

The Christmas tree is certainly an interesting and long lasting tradition, one of which will probably not change anytime soon.