The festive season is officially here, and many are celebrating by putting up Christmas trees. Brits typically adorn their holiday firs with twinkling lights, tinsel and baubles to create a warm atmosphere, before placing all the presents underneath.
But do you know the origin of this tradition?
This is a question that often pops up on social media, but it’s always good to know the actual facts. There are numerous historical clues as to why we began placing a tree in our homes during the festive period.
It appears that evergreen trees were a source of wonder for Pagans around the 4th century. They saw them as a symbol of life and would bring them into their homes to decorate.
During Roman times, evergreen wreaths were displayed during the festival Saturnalia, which took place from 17 to 23 December.
Although it wasn’t Christmas, but a celebration of the god Saturn, there are similarities between the Roman festivity and Christmas traditions. This includes gift-giving, indulging in large feasts and the use of fir trees.
Despite all this, the modern version of the Christmas tree reportedly originates from 16th/17th century Germany.
It’s believed that religious reformer Martin Luther, who died in 1546, is the man behind the tradition – especially when it comes to the idea of decorating a tree with candles.
The tradition of erecting a Christmas tree has long been a subject of discussion. Some suggest that it was in the 1600s when devout Christian families in Germany began the custom of setting up a Tannenbaum (fir tree) for the festive season.
At that time, Christmas trees were not popular in the UK or the US as they were often linked with Paganism.
However, this perception shifted in 1846 when Queen Victoria and her German husband, Prince Albert, distributed an illustrated holiday card.
The card showed the Royal family gathered around a Christmas tree decorated with dozens of baubles and an angel on top, while they posed with their children.
This ignited a major trend in the UK as the Royal Family were very popular at the time and influenced the public. It’s widely believed that this Royal Christmas Card and others like it helped popularise Christmas trees in the US as well.
The tradition has since persisted, with baubles, ornaments, sweet treats and candles being placed on trees ever since. When electricity became widespread in the 1890s, candles on trees were replaced with Christmas lights.