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The History of the Christmas Tree

Christmas simply wouldn't be Christmas without a tree - large or small, natural or artificial, plain or extravagent. In the west we buy and decorate many millions of trees each year. But where did the custom originate?

The Origin of the Christmas Tree

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Our modern decorated, indoor Christmas tree is only a few centuries old, however it is possible to see a connection with the ancient pagan midwinter celebrations. With the turning of winter, life would once more emerge - hence the symbolic importance of mistletoe. An evergreen tree obviously fits into this symbolism.

The tradition of decorating fir trees indoors is believed to have originated in Germany in the 16th century. Credit for this idea is usually given to Martin Luther, however some Lutherian scholars have disputed this.

Whoever invented the idea, it quickly became popular in Germany. The idea was less quick to catch on in Britain, possibly because of rivalry between the two countries.

The market for Christmas trees really took off in the 19th century when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were illustrated with their family and a Christmas tree. What was good enough for Victoria was good enough for everyone, and the custom of buying and decorating trees quickly spread in both Britain and the US.

Some people find the tree pot or stand to be unsightly. The use of a "skirt" is therefore common. These can be as simple as a piece of coloured paper or an elegant fabric design. Making an attractive Christmas tree skirt can be a rewarding little craft project.

Christmas Tree Lights

Early Christmas trees would sometimes be decorated with candles, but obviously this was extremely dangerous - many fires were caused. Don't do it!

With the arrival of electricity a safer alternative became possible. However the earliest electric Christmas tree lights were bulky and required specialist installation.

The first mass produced electric fairy lights are believed to have been invented by Albert Sadacca in 1917 following a New York fire resulting from candles. Albert and his two brothers went on to found the NOMA Electric Company which became the world's largest Christmas lighting company.

Artificial Trees

The debate about the advantages of real vs artificial trees is a contentious one, with fashions having changed greatly over the years. Preferences also vary between countries.

The first artificial Christmas trees were introduced into the mass market in the 1960s and 1970s. These early versions often looked very little like their natural counterparts. That, in many cases, was the whole point - they were intended to look "modern" and "hi tech". They became extremely popular, not least because unlike the real thing they didn't drop their needles all over the floor!

Some people store an artifical tree from year to year, others consider the annual trip to the shop to buy this year's natural tree part of their Christmas tradition.

As always, things go in cycles and the fashion for modernist artificial trees dropped away with natural trees - or at least, natural looking artificial trees - coming back into fashion. This is perhaps more true in Europe than in America, with artificial trees remaining more popular in the US than in the UK.

Artificial tree manufacturers have continued to improve their products and some of the ones in the stores today are difficult to tell from the real thing. On the other side of the fence, natural tree growers have developed ways to reduce the dropping of needles.

At the end of the day it's a matter of personal taste - but for me a natural tree wins every time.