People typically begin to decorate their Christmas trees when Advent starts, and usually take them down 12 days after Christmas.
Every December, people around the world eagerly prepare decorations for their Christmas trees. The type of tree commonly used for this occasion is the evergreen (represented by the pine tree).
Originally, decorating these trees was intended to celebrate the Christian winter festival. The Romans used greenery to adorn temples, while Christians viewed it as a symbol of the resurrection of Christ.
Reasons to keep a fresh Christmas tree in your home. (Source: Fox9.com).
However, no one knows exactly when the evergreen was first used as a Christmas tree. According to Whychristmas, the history of the Christmas tree may date back over 1,000 years in Northern Europe.
Initially, in some regions of Northern Europe, cherry or hawthorn trees were used as Christmas trees. In areas without trees, people crafted wooden trees, decorating them with candles and green branches.
No one can definitively answer when the pine tree was brought indoors for Christmas.
Each country has its own legend regarding this custom. However, all stories share a common theme: the evergreen’s vibrant green leaves in winter symbolize strong vitality, uplifting the human spirit.
The tradition of bringing Christmas trees indoors and decorating them became popular in Germany around the 1520s. The first to do this was the preacher Martin Luther. In the 16th century, Luther walked through a forest on Christmas Eve and saw a beautiful tree, which he brought home. He told his children that the tree reminded him of Christ.
Another legend involves a forester. One Christmas, the forester was gathered with his family around the fireplace for warmth when they heard a knock at the door. Outside stood a poor boy. The forester let the boy in to warm up and sleep overnight. They fed him, bathed him, and let him sleep in their youngest son’s bed.
The next morning, the whole family awoke to a choir of angels. The poor boy was Jesus Christ. To thank the forester’s family for their kindness, He gifted them a sprig of evergreen to bring indoors. Since then, on Christmas Eve, people have brought evergreens into their homes and decorated them as a remembrance of this unforgettable encounter with Christ.
In Germany, the first Christmas tree was decorated with food, such as gingerbread and apples. They also hung paper roses on it. (Photo: HappyHolidays).
Among the decorations on the tree, a spider weaving a web is often hung. This ornament is derived from a legend in Eastern Germany or Ukraine. Today, these stories are still told in Finnish and Scandinavian communities.
The legend states that a poor family could not afford to decorate their Christmas tree. Therefore, when the children went to sleep on the night of December 24th, a spider spun its web around the tree. The next morning, the spider’s web had transformed into shiny strands of gold and silver.
In the mid-19th century, Christmas trees began to gain popularity in England, thanks to Prince Albert and Queen Victoria. In 1841, this royal couple decorated the first Christmas tree in England at Windsor Castle with candles and an abundance of candy and fruit.
After that, many wealthy families in England followed suit. Eventually, the tradition of the Christmas tree became popular not only in England but also in all British colonies and even in new lands like Canada.
The Christmas tree first appeared in the United States in the 1830s when German immigrants in Pennsylvania commonly brought Christmas trees to church fundraising events. Initially, most Americans viewed Christmas trees as a peculiar thing.
However, by the 1890s, many decorations began to be imported from Germany to America, and from then on, Christmas trees became popular in Canada and the U.S.
Wrapping electric lights around the Christmas tree and turning them on also has its own tales. One such story involves inventor Thomas Edison, who in 1880 placed some new light bulbs around his office. In 1882, Edward Johnson, one of his associates, strung together 80 colored bulbs—red, white, and blue—and placed them on a tree in his New York apartment. In 1890, Edison’s company announced a service called: providing lighting for Christmas trees. Wealthy individuals at that time would often order custom bulbs for decoration, valued at up to $2,000 today.
Today, decorating the Christmas tree has become an indispensable tradition during the Christmas season.
Economic and aesthetic developments have led to an increasing variety of Christmas trees in different shapes, sizes, and materials.
The tradition of decorating Christmas trees is embraced by millions of people worldwide, regardless of their beliefs and cultures.
Wherever it is possible, real pine trees are used, while in places without pines, artificial trees are utilized.
Although the Christmas tree remains a symbol of Christianity, for many people around the world, it has become a part of the December festivities.
Not only do people study the history of lighting Christmas trees, but many are also curious about the perfect time to buy a tree for decoration. Typically, people start decorating their trees at the beginning of Advent, which is four Sundays before Christmas.
During this time, you can easily see dazzling Christmas trees in homes, stores, cafes, hospitals, and schools in every country around the world.
