The First Christmas tree

Ah the Christmas tree? Nothing catches your attention like a Christmas tree.  Just watching the expressions and listening to the “ohh’s and “ahh’s  of the people who enter stores, restaurants, or homes where the grand Christmas tree is standing tells you there is just something about that Christmas tree.  Why do we enjoy our Christmas tree and just what is it about it that fascinates us so?

In ancient time, the tree was used in rituals to celebrate the fertility of the nature gods as far back as 300 A.D.  However the first record of a Christian Christmas tree was in the 7^th century when a monk from Devonshire was commissioned to teach the word of God in Germany.  The parable tells us that he used the triangular shape of the fir tree as a teaching tool to illustrate the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

These ancient Germans revered the tree as God’s tree.  In the mid 1200’s the tree became a symbol of Christianity in Germany, and people would hang them in their windows upside down.  Martin Luther is said to be the first to actually decorate the tree in 1510.  Stories tell us that he decorated them with candles to bring to life the stars twinkling in the night.  By the mid 16^th century, Christmas markets opened for the villagers, and sold everything from gifts, food, and cookies that people could take home to hang on their tree.   

These early trees depicted the scriptures of the Old Testament as the trees Adam and Eve had in their Paradise, the Garden of Eden.  Food items were hung on the tree to symbolize the land of plenty. Flowers of red for knowledge and white for purity or innocence adorned the tree.   In Britain, King George III introduced the tree to his household in 1570; when German merchants came to dwell in England and decorated their homes with them.

However the tradition remained for many years only a royal family tradition as the English were not fond of King George III nor the Germans and their strange traditions.  In 1846, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert made the London news with a picture of the royal family standing beside their decorated tree.  Unlike the earlier royal family, Queen Victoria was well loved and cherished, and whatever she allowed in her court, became the fashion for not only the rest of Britain, but with the British colonies in America as well.  

However, because America was so large, only small pockets of British-Americans observed the Christmas tree tradition.  When Queen Victoria died the English Christmas tree was put away as many mourned her death and could not bear to celebrate the holidays with the tradition, she had introduced them to.  It wasn’t until the 1930’s that the nostalgia of the Christmas tree returned, unfortunately, it’s revival was short lived, as World War II came onto the scene and many people could just not afford to have the tree or enjoy as family members fought in the war.

Nevertheless many communities would mount large trees in the towns to boost morale and give people a sense of togetherness.  After the war, the Christmas tree tradition returned to England as people needed the sanctuary of the tradition in their lives.  The early Christian church, finally decided to indoctrinate the tree to their Christian religion, and favored the evergreen that signified life and eternity. 

Finally the New Testament church turned the tree into the true meaning of Christmas with angels or stars placed at the top of the tree to represent the star of Bethlehem that led the Magi to the Christ child two-thousand years ago. The nativity scene complete with Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus – not to mention a few shepherds, three kings and gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Do you hear bells?  Never mind, I got carried away in the moment. 

Anyway, after a crazy 1960 atheistic move, where the tree was used all year round for all sorts of celebrations  to include the age of Aquarius where fake silver trees turned to an arraying color wheel projecting  psychedelic colors and designs, to the same trees decorated with anything and the more the merrier. The Christmas tree made its Victorian return in the 1970’s with real original evergreens to crystal and glass ornaments, all depicting the wonder of the birth of Christ so long ago.

Our story now takes us to the 21^st century, where many Christians continue to celebrate the birth of their Lord with their traditional Christmas tree; all this because one lone monk, used the fir tree, to introduce the trinity.