Where do Christmas Trees originate from?

Christmas trees, often a pine or a fir, are decorated with lights and ornaments as part of Christmas festivities. Christmas trees can be fresh cut, potted, or artificial and are used as both indoor and outdoor decorations. While the trees are traditionally associated with Christian symbolism, their modern use is largely secular (non religious). Many families place presents around an indoor Christmas tree to be opened on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Where Christmas trees came from

Latvia and Estonia both claim to have been home to the first Christmas tree. Latvia traces its Christmas tree traditions back to 1510, when a merchant guild called the House of the Black Heads carried a tree through the city, decorated it, and later burned it down. Meanwhile, Estonia has countered those claims, saying it has evidence of a similar festival hosted by the very same guild in its capital city Tallinn in 1441. However, it is more likely that the Christmas tree as we know it was born in the Alsace region during the 16th century, now part of France but the region was considered German territory at the time. Historical records indicate that a Christmas tree was raised in the Strasbourg Cathedral in 1539 and that the tradition had grown so popular throughout the region that the city of Freiburg banned felling trees for Christmas in 1554.

Where Christmas trees came from

The modern Christmas tree, though, originated in western Germany. The main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a paradise tree, a fir tree hung with apples that represented the Garden of Eden. The Germans set up a paradise tree in their homes and candles, symbolic of Christ as the light of the world, were often added. Germans also set up a Christmas pyramid, a triangular construction of wood that had shelves to hold Christmas figurines and was decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star. By the 16th century, the Christmas pyramid and the paradise tree had merged, becoming the Christmas tree. The custom was widespread among the German Lutherans by the 18th century, but it was not until the following century that the Christmas tree became a deep rooted German tradition.

How Christmas Trees came to England

The first Christmas tree in the UK was set up by Queen Charlotte, the German wife of King George III. In 1800, she had a full yew tree set up at the Queen's Lodge in Windsor for a children's party for rich and noble families. She helped to decorate it herself and it became a popular event for the royal court. However, many people believe that the Christmas tree was introduced to England by German born Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. Taken to North America by German settlers as early as the 17th century, Christmas trees were the height of fashion by the 19th century. They were also popular in Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and the Netherlands. In China and Japan, Christmas trees introduced by Western missionaries in the 19th and 20th centuries, were decorated with intricate paper designs. Since 1947, every year Norway has given a large Christmas tree to Great Britain which is displayed in Trafalgar Square in London. During WW2, the Norwegian king and government fled to London when their country was occupied. The tree, therefore, is given as a token of gratitude to the people of London for their assistance. This annual tradition shows the great symbolic importance of Christmas trees in Britain. Artificial Christmas trees started becoming popular in the early 20th century and continue to be widespread to this day.

Christmas Tree world records

According to The Guinness World Records, the tallest cut Christmas tree was a 67.36m (221ft) Douglas fir set up at the Northgate Shopping Centre in Seattle, Washington, USA, in December 1950. The tallest artificial tree was 72.1m (236.5ft) tall and was made by the Arjuna Ranatunga Social Services in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in December 2016.