How Did Trees Become A Christmas Staple? (Hint: It has something to do with the Winter Solstice)

With the festive season just around the corner, it’s a time to wind down & reflect on the year just gone, while also looking ahead to the year to come. We all have our own traditions and rituals for this time of the year. But, one tradition which is practically universal all around the world is the humble Christmas Tree. 

But, how did these natural, evergreen pillars become a festive superstars?

Like many other famous traditions, its origins are messy and disputed. A number of countries claim to be the original home of the Christmas Tree However, the origins of the Evergreen Tree as a festive Icon can be traced back to, unsurprisingly, regions with abundant evergreen forests especially those in northern Europe. 

According to records, the first Christmas tree as we know it came from a tree raised at the Strasbourg Cathedral in 1539. This tradition became popular in Germany throughout the 16th,17th,18th century with Christians continuing to bring decorated trees into their home. By 1800, Christmas trees had become a firmly established tradition in Germany. It is widely thought that 16th-century reformer, Martin Luther, first added lighted candles to the tree.

As Germans migrated all around the world, this Christmas Tree tradition went along with them.  Queen Victoria popularised the tradition in the UK when she introduced a tree to her festivities, as seen in this illustration from 1848. After this, the Tree soon became a popular Christmas tradition in the UK. 

But long before the emergence of a ‘Christmas Tree’ & even before the introduction of Christianity, Evergreen trees that remain green all year had a special place in people’s lives, especially during the winter. Even back then, as we do now, people used to hang evergreen branches, like spruce, fir & pine over doors & windows. It was even believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts and evil spirits.

The winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere (the shortest day and longest night of the year), which falls on the 21st or 22nd of December was also a big celebration in ancient times. It was thought that god had become ill & weak, and the solstice meant that the sun god would begin to get well. In celebration, they also used evergreen boughs to remind them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and the long days returned.

Many other ancient cultures, empires and civilizations had their very own solstice celebrations, which used evergreen branches to emphasise that nature always endures and survives. The Egyptians believed that Ra, the god of the sun, began to recover from his illness during the winter solstice. The Romans had a celebratory feast called Saturnalia, to celebrate the god of agriculture, Saturn.

Nowadays, there is still plenty of variation between countries, cultures & even families about how they use their trees as part of Christmas decorations and celebrations.

For example, in Ireland, Christmas trees are bought anytime in December and decorated with coloured lights, tinsel, and baubles. Some people favour the angel on top of the tree, others the star. The house is decorated with garlands, candles, holly, and ivy. Wreaths and mistletoe are hung on the door.

Whereas, in China, where a small percentage of people celebrate Christmas, most put up artificial trees decorated with spangles, paper chains, flowers, and lanterns. Christmas trees are called “trees of light.”

As you can see, the humble Christmas tree has quite a history, and with recent studies regarding how trees positively influence mental health, it’s no surprise that Trees have become staples of the festive season.

 If you want to learn more about the Trees we have at our Cloudforests sites, simply follow the link below.