THE CHRISTMAS TREE (A HISTORY)

Next to the Nativity scene and Santa Claus the Christmas tree is the image that makes Christmas complete. Trees were originally a pagan practice which began in Germany in the sixteenth century.

Pagans in Germany celebrated the Winter Solstice the time of year when the days get shorter and there is less sun. Pagans felt this was a sign that the sun was going away and the solstice celebration was a way of enticing the sun back. They did this by getting the largest living thing they could find, the Evergreen and decorating it with lights. Christians felt that if they had similar holidays to the pagans they would have a better chance of gaining converts. They moved the birth of Jesus to December 25^th and incorporated the trees into the worship of Jesus.

When Germans Christians immigrated to other countries they brought with them the tradition of the Christmas tree. The first Christmas trees were here in the 1700's but were still seen as pagan symbols and would not be accepted in America. It would not be until 1846 when the very popular Queen Victoria and her German Albert, Prince appeared in the Illustrated London News with their children gathered around their Christmas tree that the custom would be accepted. By the late 1800's Germany would be producing and shipping beautiful handmade German glass ornaments for decorating the trees though Americans used mainly homemade ornaments and the German Americans continued to use apples and cookies for decoration. Popcorn and electric lights followed allowing for Christmas trees to spring up not only in American homes, but stores, parks and town squares.