History of Xmas Trees

Some people think that the history of the Xmas tree (Christmas tree) started with Christianity. However, that is not true. In fact, there were even other groups besides the Germans who used these evergreen trees that are commonly referred to today as the Christmas tree.

In ancient times what is known today as the Christmas tree was used in ancient Roman, Celtic, and Egyptian times for a variety of reasons. It was believed long before the formation of Christianity and modern church religions that the Christmas tree was capable of fighting off evil spirits, witches, ghosts, and evil spirits.

The ancient tradition was to celebrate the winter solstice which usually fell on either the 21st or 22nd depending upon the year. The celebration came about because certain ancient groups believed that the son god was sick and that was why winter would come.

The celebration of the winter solstice was in belief that the son god would get well, and the evergreen branches were a symbol of all the green plants and harvest that were soon to come in the spring, summer, and fall months. This tradition took place mostly in the northern hemisphere. There were other ancient and modern traditions that centered on the evergreen that were followed over the years as well.

It was not until the 16th century that Germans who were devout Christians began bringing these trees into their homes. The early evergreen structures were sometimes made of wood pyramids with evergreen branches and candles attached to them. Martin Luther, a 16th century protestant reformer was one of the first persons to ad candles to a tree.

As late as the 1840s Xmas trees were not accepted by most Americans who considered them a pagan symbol. In the year 1859 the state of Massachusetts made any observance other than going to church on December 25th an offense that could be penalized. Those who hung up decorations were fined. This strict order was undermined by Germans and Irish who began to settle in American in the late 1800s and 1900s.

By the 1890s the use of the Xmas tree became very popular, especially within the Christian culture. The American trees usually stood from floor to ceiling while most European trees were only 4 feet in length. In the early 20th century Americans began to decorate their trees with homemade ornaments while the Germans continued to decorate theirs with foods such as apples, nuts, marzipan cookies, and popcorn.

Shortly after this began the invention of electricity and Americans kept their Christmas tree lit for days. It was not long after this that Christmas trees appeared in every town square and home in America.

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