History of Christmas Trees
Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for ancient humans surviving the winter months. Just as people today decorate their homes during the holiday season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancients hung evergreen boughs over their doorways and windows, under the belief that evergreens would ward off witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illnesses.
In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year fall on December 21 or December 22. Known as the winter solstice, many ancient peoples believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick or weakly. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well.
Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god found his strength in summer.
Ancient Egyptian, Roman Origins
The ancient Egyptians worshipped a god called Ra, who had the head of a hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disk in his crown. At the solstice, when Ra began to recover from his own weakness, the Egyptians filled their homes with green palm rushes, which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death.
Early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon, farms and orchards would be green and fruitful again.
Modern Christianity’s adoption of the Christmas tree began in 16th century Germany, while it is widely believed that Protestant reformer Martin Luther, first added lighted candles to Christmas trees, when he became awed one night by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens.
The traditions of the Germans crossed the pond in the 1830s, when German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania, but as late as the 1840s, Christmas trees were considered pagan symbols and disregarded by most Americans. By the 1890s, however, a steady flood of Christmas ornaments arrived from Germany, and Christmas tree popularity went into high gear ever since.
Today, Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states, including Hawaii and Alaska, making the Christmas tree a centerpiece for Christmas celebrations everywhere.