To Whom Do We Owe The Christmas Tree?

 It is most likely that the Christmas tree as a custom is of pagan origin. A concise date or place of origin cannot be defined since it is based on a variety of different customs and cultures.

 In ancient Rome, people decorated their houses around New Years Eve with wreaths made from branches of bay. Another idea was that the evergreen leaves of certain plants would symbolise vitality, and once brought into the house, would secure the inhabitants health for the future. Mistletoe was also used for that. The decorating of a tree also was common practice in the Mithra cult, where people worshipped the sun god.

Image credit - Worshipping Ra, the sun god

 In the middle ages, the custom of decorating entire trees on the occasion of different public holidays or celebrations was widespread in many places in Europe. Examples for that is the erection of Maypoles still known in some parts of Europe today and the habit of putting up a “Richtbaum”, which is a nicely decorated wreath on top of a pole that is put on the rooftop of a house, the basic structure of which has just been completed (including the roofing joists).

 It is most likely that monks took over the custom of Christmas trees from Germany and the Alpine region and brought it to other countries. In the Alpine region (Southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria) Paradise plays were performed in the churches at Christmas. These plays were held in remembrance of the tribal parents Adam and Eve on the evening of the 24. December. On this occasion, they decorated a so-called paradise tree (a deciduous tree in most cases) with apples. The apples symbolised the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge and incorporated the original sin, from which Jesus Christ liberated all human beings.

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 It is assumed from oral history that the guild of the Freiburg bakers used Christmas trees as early as in 1419. The first certified mentioning is known from 1539, when a Christmas tree was set up in the Strasbourg cathedral. Some unproven sources also claim that the first Christmas tree was used in Riga in 1510. From the 16. century onwards, the Christmas tree soon became a widespread tradition. 

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