Origins of the Christmas tree

The exact origin of the Christmas tree is quite blurred and many stories circulate, but what seems certain is that this symbol is derived from the Pagan tradition.

In fact, the pagan Nordic and Celtic Druids revered the fir as manifestations of gods because they do not lose their leaves in the fall and thus remained green and "live" while other plants appeared to be dead and bare. These trees represented everlasting life and hope for the return of spring. Druids decorated their trees with symbols of prosperity, for a fruitful harvest, coins for wealth and various charms for love or fertility . It is believed that pagan Scandinavians were the first to bring their decorated trees indoors to provide a warm and welcoming environment for the spirits. Saxons, a Germanic pagan tribe, were the first to place lights on their tree-shaped candles. The Romans, decorated their houses Greens during the holiday Saturnalia, their New Year, and they exchanged evergreen branches with friends as a sign of good fortune.fir has a long association with Christianity. Some believe that the origin of the Christmas tree began in Germany almost 1,000 years ago when St Boniface converted the German people to Christianity. After a chance meeting with a group of pagans worshiping an oak tree, St. Boniface, angry, would have decreased the size of the oak and, to his amazement a young fir appeared suddenly among the oak roots. Saint Boniface took it as a sign of the Christian faith.

The first Christian use of the Christmas tree as a symbol is credited to the 16th century when devout Christians also brought decorated trees into their homes. Prince Albert the German husband of Queen Victoria was the first to import the custom of the Christmas tree in 1841 at Windsor Castle.

While in Europe we celebrated the Christmas tree for some time, the first recorded in America dates back to 1830 in Pennsylvania. It seems that a local church has erected the tree in an effort gathering and unity for newcomers. In the 1890s, the Christmas decorations were imported with German emigrants and Christmas trees became fashionable. Whereas Europeans generally favored smaller trees about 1 meter, the Americans themselves, liked to the big picture. Their trees stretching from floor to ceiling proudly. Early decorations were natural items like apples, nuts, berries, marzipan and cookies. Popcorn, an additional U.S. was finally added to the mixture. With the advent of electricity, Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across America and the traditional "lighting tree "quickly became one of the official symbols of the beginning of the holiday season in the U.S. ..