Before Christianity, many people believed that trees and greenery that were lush throughout the year would keep away spirits and illness.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the least amount of daylight lands on December 21 or December 22. This occasion is named the winter solstice. In ancient times, people believed the sun itself was a god and the reason winter arrived was because the sun had gotten ill or exhausted. The solstice was a day when the ancient people celebrated the start of the sun god’s health.
For the ancient Egyptians, Ra was the sun god. During the solstice, the ancient Egyptians decorated their homes with green palm leaves, which meant victory of life against death. Ancient Romans announced the day with a brilliant feast called Saturnalia, which came out of respect for Saturn, the god of agriculture (yes, that’s also a planet). They also decorated temples with evergreen branches. Druids in ancient Britain and France also used evergreens as decoration.
Germany, a country in central Europe, is believed to have started the tradition of the Christmas tree. This tradition developed in the 1500s, a time when orthodox Christians garnished trees and brought them into their homes. Martin Luther (does he sound familiar?) was a Protestant reformer of the 16th century. As a reformer, or someone who works to improve things, he was inspired by the glister of stars beaming down on the evergreens to add candles to the branches of his family’s Christmas tree.
Now, you’re really wondering, “How on earth did Christmas trees make their arrival in the U.S.?”
Christmas trees were unusual in 19th century America. One of the first recorded occurrences was during the 1830s, when a Christmas tree was publicized in Pennsylvania by German settlers. However, Christmas trees had made their appearances in German households long before that, despite it being quite an eccentric tradition in American society.
According to the New England Puritans, who lived way before the 1800s, Christmas was a sacred time. Not surprisingly, the Puritans took their faith seriously. William Bradford was the second governor of the Puritans, and decided that he would try hard to punish all who mock the observance of Christmas. In 1659, a crazy law from the General Court of Massachusetts was laid down, stating that there should be no displaying of decorations until the day of December 25—and those who disobeyed were fined. That law was removed once German and Irish immigrants began to arrive.
Trees became fashionable when England’s Queen Victoria was drawn with her husband, Prince Albert, standing by a Christmas tree with their family. Victoria was a popular queen, which meant she influenced the rest of the nation.
A drawing of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with their children in front of a Christmas tree
In the end, this spread to America. By the 1890s, Christmas ornaments were rushing into America from Germany, and the legacy of the tree grew. Europeans at the time preferred small trees, around four feet tall. Americans favored floor-to-ceiling trees. Trees would traditionally shine with candles. But with the discovery of electricity, Christmas lights eventually became the standard.
Now Christmas trees appear in many households during winter. The National Christmas Tree Association reports there are close to 350 million trees growing on Christmas tree farms in the U.S. Around 25 to 30 million real Christmas trees are sold every year. • ZAIYDE C.