The Long History Of The Christmas Tree
By Linda Speckhals | December 21, 2022
The 1930s saw the beginning of artificial Christmas tree production, first using brush bristles; by the 1950s and 1960s, they started to make trees from aluminum and PVC. This was just one more development in the history of the Christmas tree, a history that dates back to the pagans.
Pagan Tree Worship
For the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews, evergreen wreaths, trees, and garlands symbolized eternal life; the pagans in Europe worshiped trees. It is no surprise that these customs continued with the conversion to Christianity. The Scandinavians decorated with evergreens to scare away the Devil, and in Germany, they placed a Yule tree inside the house.
The Paradise Tree
It was in Germany that the modern Christmas tree got its start. One of the medieval plays was about Adam and Eve, and it used a “paradise tree.” On the tree, they hung apples to represent the Garden of Eden. On the religious feast day of Adam and Eve, December 24, they set up a paradise tree in their home, hanging wafers on it as a representation of the eucharistic host, a sign of redemption. Later, they hung shaped cookies. They started to place candles in the tree because of the belief that Christ was the light of the world.
Spreading To North America
Prior to the 16th century, the Germans also had a “Christmas pyramid.” This wooden triangular structure had Christmas figurines adorning its shelves and was decorated with candles, evergreens, and a star. This eventually merged with the paradise tree to become the Christmas tree. By the 19th century, the tradition had become firmly rooted as a German tradition, and it began to spread to England. As early as the 17th century, German immigrants brought the tradition with them to North America, and it was firmly ingrained by the 19th century.
It Came To England With Prince Albert
In 1846, a sketch of Victoria and Albert appeared in The Illustrated London News. This sketch, of the pair and their family standing around the Christmas tree, helped to make the Christmas tree popular in England. In Victorian England, the tree was decorated with toys, gifts, candles, candies, strings of popcorn, and fancy cakes. These were all attached to the tree by ribbons and paper chains. As the Christmas tree tradition continued to spread around the world, Western missionaries took it with them to China and Japan; they decorated their trees with origami birds.
Glass Ornaments
By the late 19th century, small workshops in Germany and Bohemia were producing blown glass ornaments which were being sold in Great Britain and the United States. Some of these German glass ornaments were shaped like fruits and vegetables. A story started to circulate that the Germans hung a pickle as the last ornament, and the first child to find the pickle received an extra gift. However, when Germans were asked about this, no one had heard of it, so it is often assumed that the story was created by a clever salesman. They produced other decorations, including items made from cast lead, beads, pressed paper, and cotton batting. By 1890, F.W. Woolworth had annual ornament sales of $25 million. German-Americans continued to use apples, nuts, cookies, and popcorn.
