Like many Christmas customs, including the celebration of Christmas itself, the origin of the Christmas tree can be traced to pagan traditions. Legend has it, late one night around Christmas time, Luther was strolling house through the woods when he was struck by the innocent appeal of starlight shining through fir trees. Oliver Cromwell, the influential 17th-century British politician, preached against the “heathen traditions” of Christmas carols, embellished trees, and any cheerful expression that desecrated “that sacred event.”.
In the U.S. alone, 35 million Christmas trees are offered annually, joined by 10 million synthetic trees, which are remarkably worse from an ecological viewpoint. Each year, 300 million Christmas trees are grown in farms around the world to sustain a two-billion-dollar market, however since these are typically not enough, many firs are cut down from forests.
In the 1850s and 1840s Queen Victoria and Prince Albert popularised a new way of celebrating Christmas. This inscription from 1840 shows the two emperors surrounded by children and gifts around a Christmas tree Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
For many, its unthinkable to celebrate Christmas without a gorgeous evergreen fir in the living room decorated with sparkling ornaments and wrapped presents. Like the majority of Christmas traditions, including the event of Christmas itself, the origin of the Christmas tree can be traced to pagan traditions. In truth, were it not for Queen Victoria (the most effective king of her time) and a group of German soldiers in a temporary medical facility in England, the decorated fir trees we love today might have remained an unknown custom that just a couple of Slavic and germanic countries practiced.
Pagan origins of the Christmas tree.
Ancient Egyptians used to embellish the temples devoted to Ra, the god of the sun, with green palm throughout the Winter Solstice. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
The Christmas tree is a fairly recent addition to the list of vacation customs, it goes back a number of centuries, as do numerous other customizeds.
Long prior to Christianity appeared, people in the Northern Hemisphere used evergreen plants to embellish their houses, particularly the doors, to celebrate the Winter Solstice. On December 21 or December 22, the day is the quickest, and the night is the longest. Generally, this time of the year is seen as the return in strength of the sun god who had actually been compromised throughout winter– and the evergreen plants served as a tip that the god would radiance again and summer season was to be anticipated.
The solstice was commemorated by the Egyptians who filled their homes with green palm hurries in honor of the god Ra, who had the head of a hawk and used the sun as a crown. In Northern Europe, the Celts decorated their druid temples with evergreen boughs which signified everlasting life. Further up north, the Vikings believed evergreens were the plants of Balder, the god of light and peace. The ancient Romans marked the Winter Solstice with a banquet called Saturnalia thrown in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture, and, like the Celts, embellished their homes and temples with evergreen boughs.
Its worth discussing at this moment that Saturnalia was the most important celebration in Roman life. It was a week-long, rowdy celebration held from the 17th of December. It was so wordy, in truth, that at some time, nobody could be prosecuted for injuring or killing people, raping, theft– anything typically versus the law really. Although a lot of people blew off steam by taking advantage of the lawlessness, Saturnalia might also be a time for compassion. Throughout Saturnalia, many Romans practiced merrymaking and the exchange of presents– another practice you might find familiar.
In the early days of Christianity, the birth of Jesus was set on the last day of Saturnalia by the first Christian Romans in power to technique pagans, despite the fact that some scholars assert Jesus was born 9 months later, or a couple of years previously, but thats not a point. It was a creative political tactic, some say, which in time transformed Saturnalia from a frat party marathon into a meek event of the birth of Christ.
While a great deal of ancient cultures used evergreens around Christmas time, historical records recommend that the Christmas tree tradition was started in the 16th century by Germans who decorated fir trees inside their houses. In some Christian cults, Adam and Eve were thought about saints, and people commemorated them on Christmas Eve.
As part of the efficiency, the Garden of Eden was symbolized by a “paradise tree” hung with fruit. Some collected evergreen branches or trees and brought them to their houses, in secret.
These evergreens were initially called paradise trees and were frequently accompanied by wooden pyramids made from branches held together by rope. On these pyramids, some households would fasten and light candle lights, one for each member of the family. These were the precursors of contemporary Christmas tree lights and accessories, along with edibles such as gingerbread and gold-covered apples.
Already, a link between trees and Christmas was becoming established. Another crucial spiritual figure played a role here.
Some state the very first to light a candle light atop a Christmas tree was Martin Luther. Legend has it, late one night around Christmas time, Luther was strolling home through the woods when he was struck by the innocent appeal of starlight shining through fir trees.
Whats specific is that by 1605, Christmas trees were a thing as, because year, historical records suggest the inhabitants of Strasburg established fir trees in the parlours … and hang thereon roses cut out of many-coloured paper, apples, wafers, gold-foil, sugary foods, and so on.
During these early days of the Christmas tree, many statesmen and members of the clergy condemned their use as an event of Christ. Oliver Cromwell, the prominent 17th-century British politician, preached against the “heathen traditions” of Christmas carols, embellished trees, and any joyful expression that desecrated “that sacred occasion.”.
They were mostly successful, and the Christmas tree stayed a niched celebration. Till Queen Victoria occurred.
The modern Christmas Tree.
Credit: Pixabay.
In 1846, Queen Victoria and her German husband Albert were sketched in the Illustrated London News standing with their children around a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle. German immigrants had brought the custom of Christmas trees to Britain with them in the early 1800s but the practice didnt catch on with the locals.
After Queen Victoria, an incredibly popular monarch started celebrating Christmas with fir trees and provides hung on the branches as a favor to her partner, the layfolk right away followed match.
Throughout the ocean, in the 19th century, Christmas trees werent at all popular, though German and dutch inhabitants introduced them. It was American civic leaders, artists, and authors who played on the image of a pleased middle-class household exchanging presents around a tree in an effort to replace Christmas customizeds that were seen as decadent, like wassailing.
It took a long period of time prior to the Christmas tree became an important part of American life throughout this faithful night. President Franklin Pierce (1804-1869) set up to have the very first Christmas tree in the White House, during the mid-1850s. President Calvin Coolidge (1885-1933) started the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House yard in 1923.
Typically not all Christian cultures adorned their homes with presents and evergreens, the impact applied by the West and increasing consumerism has turned the Christmas tree into an ubiquitous symbol. In fact, numerous individuals of other faiths have embraced the Christmas tree (See Japan for example).
The Christmas tree has actually gone a long way from its modest, pagan origins, to the point that its become too popular for its own good. In the U.S. alone, 35 million Christmas trees are sold annually, joined by 10 million synthetic trees, which are remarkably even worse from an environmental point of view. Every year, 300 million Christmas trees are grown in farms around the world to sustain a two-billion-dollar market, however since these are typically not enough, numerous firs are cut down from forests. This is why we suggest choosing more creative and sustainable options to Christmas trees.