The History of the Christmas Tree

Perhaps the most noticeable symbol of the holiday season is the classic Christmas Tree. A Christmas tree is usually an evergreen tree that is decorated with ornaments, tinsel, and sometimes fruit, nuts, and even cookies and candy.  "Santa Claus" puts gifts under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve night for all the good little boys and girls in the world--well, at least that's what the legend says. Christmas Trees symbolize the Christmas holiday, and the happy feelings, togetherness, and love for friends and family that go along with the Christmas season.  They are taken for granted by most, simply erected and decorated in millions of American homes without ever knowing anything about them, or where the tradition had begun.

While many people (American people, at least) may deem Christmas Tree decorating an American tradition, the first known Christmas tree decoration occurred in Riga, Latvia in the year 1510, and it was first physically documented in Germany in 1531, however people were using evergreen trees to commemorate the winter season before Jesus Christ was ever born. The Christmas tree is used to symbolize and celebrate Christmas and the winter season all over the world, in many different countries and even across different cultures.

The ancient Egyptians and Romans also used evergreen trees or pieces during the holiday season. The Egyptians use evergreen boughs to celebrate life, and the triumph of life over death, as associated with their god, Ra.  The Romans used evergreen boughs to decorate their homes during the winter solstice, when they had their annual Saturnalia feast to honor Saturn, the god of Agriculture. This was a time of good will between men, and evergreen trees and sprigs symbolized that.

Christmas tree decorating became very popular in Germany in the 1500s.  The Christmas Tree evolved from the Germans' "Paradise Tree" (as in the tree in Paradise in the story of Adam and Eve), on which they hung red and green apples.  It was from this that the idea of hanging red and green items evolved, in the process dubbing red and green as Christmas colors. Eventually people hung not only apples on their Christmas trees, but fruit, candy, nuts, cookies, and other treats as well.

Christmas trees have been sold as a commercial item in the United States since the mid 1800s. Until recently, Christmas trees used to be cut down in the forest and sold.  These days, 95 percent of all Christmas trees that are commercially sold come from Christmas tree farms.  Nowadays many tree farms will even give their customers the option of selecting their future Christmas tree while it is still young and growing on the farm (the average tree may take as long as 10 years to fully mature). Some tree farms sell Christmas trees on a "you-cut-it, you-buy-it" basis, enabling the customer to select and cut down the tree of their choice on their own. 

24.3 million Christmas trees were sold in the United States in 2003, most of which originated in one of 12,000 American farms that employed over 100,000 people. The Christmas tree will probably always continue to be used to celebrate Christmas and ring in the holiday season.  The world has held on to this cherished tradition this long, why not?