The Christmas tree is iconic throughout the world during the celebration of Christmas, but where does this tradition come from? When did people adopt this custom and how did it become so popular in almost every corner of the world? It seems that the custom of using evergreen trees and branches comes from ancient times, as they were used in various rituals. The cult of trees was not uncommon among the pagan civilizations of Europe, which lived thousands of years ago. It seems that the Scandinavians used to plant trees at Christmas to invite birds to sing near their houses in this period and used the branches of evergreen trees to decorate their houses and barns in the New Year, as they were believed to scare away bad spirits
The Romans, Chinese, Egyptians, and Hebrews also had rituals involving evergreen branches, which they believed symbolized eternal life. Modern Christmas trees are thought by many to stem from the Viking and Saxon habits of worshiping trees, during the winter rites before the rise of Christianity. The Germans also had such practices around the 8th century, as illustrated in the popular story of Saint Boniface, who cut down the Donar oak and planted an evergreen in the same spot later.
The first modern Christmas tree may well have appeared in early modern Germany, during the Renaissance period. It is also believed that Martin Luther added lighted candles to an evergreen tree in the 16th century, representing the earliest decorations for such a tree in history. Some think that the habit of using Christmas trees during Christmas may come from medieval plays, when Christmas Eve was considered the feast day of Adam and Eve, the Paradise Tree was represented by an evergreen tree decorated with fruit. But because these works began to be banned in the 16th century, many people began to recreate the “trees of paradise” in their homes. They were decorated with round puff pastry waffles, representing the Eucharist, which later became cookie decorations, very common in Germany when decorating the Christmas tree.
Often near the Christmas tree people used to set up wooden pyramids where they placed candles, in some places one candle for each family member. Over time, the candles on these pyramids were moved to the trees, so the first lighting decorations may have appeared in this way. It took a while for Christmas trees to become associated with Christmas presents. It is said that, in Christian belief, the Magi brought gifts to the newborn Jesus, as a sign of gratitude. The first gift exchange customers existed since the time of the Romans, who did so during the winter solstice. But, because it was considered an Epiphany in the early days of Christianity, it was prohibited. The practice reappeared within families in Luther’s time, although the exchange of gifts was done in secret. But, when they became associated with Saint Nicholas, exchanging gifts and placing gifts under the Christmas tree, the practice became increasingly popular.
While the Christmas tree does not come from a clearly defined point, the tradition can be said to have been around for thousands of years. Beginning as a pagan ritual and later adopted by Christianity, Christmas trees have a long history from their natural origins of a simple branch to the highly ornate trees we know today.
