Hanging for the Holidays

As the holiday season rolls around once again, Christmas trees decorated with the most elaborate ornaments are visible with every turn we make. Many holiday traditions, including the Christmas tree and ornament decoration, come from central Europe. Although Christmas trees did not arrive in America until the 1800s, the modern Christmas tree dates back to Western Germany in the 16th Century. They were called “Paradeisbaums” (paradise trees) and were used in homes to celebrate the annual Feast of Adam and Eve on December 24.

Many people today see the Christmas tree as a Christian symbol when in fact, opposition to the Christmas tree, especially by Christians, was strong in past centuries. The early Christian Church in the third century strictly prohibited the decoration of their houses with evergreen boughs. Many people saw Christmas trees as Pagan symbols, which they were. The Norse Pagans and Celtic Druids used cut boughs of evergreen trees to decorate their homes or temples in December. They did this in recognition of the winter solstice, the time of year with the shortest daylight hours and the longest nights, usually between December 20 and the 23. The Pagans and the Druids noticed the days were getting shorter and they feared the sun would disappear forever, leaving them all to freeze. As all other trees and plants were dying during this time of the year, the evergreen trees remained green. The evergreen’s appeared to have magical powers to the Pagans that enabled them to survive the rigors of winter. The Druids decorated their trees with symbols of prosperity. Scandinavian Pagans are believed to be the first to bring the decorated trees indoors.

Queen Victoria’s Husband Prince Albert, a German, brought the first Christmas tree to Windsor Castle in 1841. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were sketched in the Illustrated London News posing with their children around a Christmas tree. Queen Victoria was extremely popular with her people and what was done at court was immediately made a trend. With Britain in on the fashion of Christmas trees the East Coast American Society was not far behind. The modern Christmas tree had arrived.

Christmas ornaments, which are used to decorate trees, are believed to originate from a witch ball. The original purpose of a witch ball was to fend off evil spirits. However, these green glass balls were also very decorative, and people started to see their use for decorating the home. As time went on, many became less concerned about evil spirits and began to look at ornaments as a festive symbol of celebration. In the 1800s, the first glass ornaments were made in Lauscha, Germany. This industry involved the whole family, men did the glassblowing, women did the silvering, and the children helped to paint and finish them. Soon these beautiful glass ornaments replaced the edible ones. The Germans faced no competition until 1925, when Japan and Czechoslovakia began to produce ornaments for export to America. By 1935, over 25 million ornaments were being imported to our country. With the outbreak of World War II, F.W. Woolworth was the first North American Company to sell glass ornaments. Woolworth was not too sure of his new product line until 1890, when he was selling $25 million worth of ornaments at his nickel-and-dime stores.

The Saxons, a Germanic Pagan tribe were the first to decorate their trees with lights in the form of candles. As society became more prosperous, ornaments became larger and their colors became more vibrant, reflecting society’s wealth. With the advent of electricity, Christmas trees started to appear in town squares across America accompanied by large community-based lighting ceremonies. The lighting of your holiday tree has become a tradition to kick-off the holiday season.

Traditionally, Christmas trees were not put up and decorated until Christmas Eve (December 24) and were not taken down until after the 12th night (January 6). Putting your tree up before this date or taking it down early was considered bad luck. The commercialization, of the Christmas holiday has caused Christmas trees to be put up much earlier. A common American tradition has been to put up your Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving, and take it down right after the New Year. In Germany, Catholics leave their Christmas trees up until February 2nd. In Australia, the Christmas tree is usually put up on December 1st, about one week before their school summer holiday.

Today, Christians, people of other faiths, and even those with no organized religion accept the Christmas tree. President Franklin Pierce erected the first Christmas tree in the White House in the mid-1850s. President Calvin Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn in 1923. Whether your Christmas tree is already decorated or you are waiting for Christmas Eve, remember the rough road the Christmas tree tradition has taken to arrive at the acceptance it has today.

–Kelly Merritt