“Christmas tree! Oh, Christmas tree!

Your leaves are so immutable;

Not only green when summer comes,

But also when it’s cold and sad…”

A lusciously decorated evergreen tree lit with fairy lights evokes warm feelings and Christmas thoughts. Nothing says “Christmas” like the smell of pine in your living room on a winter morning! The Christmas tree has, in fact, become one of the most beloved and recognized symbols of the festive season.

Sure, gifts for him at Christmas, and yes, you guessed it, gifts for her at Christmas are important. But it is also important to understand a little about the icon itself under which we place the gifts at this time of year. The roots (no pun intended) date back to Roman times.

Many moons ago, dating back to Roman times, people believed that evergreen trees would help ward off evil spirits, witches, ghosts, and disease. In the long, dark winter months, people looked to evergreen trees as a hope and a sign that spring would return.

Legend has it that Christians began to decorate their abodes with evergreen trees and branches. Some built Christmas pyramids out of wood and decorated them with evergreen trees and candles.

The Christmas tree as we know it is adorned with colored balls, lights, icicles, tinsel, snowfall, candles, angels, stars…the list goes on. However, the first modern Christmas tree was not created until the 16th century in Germany.

Germany

A German legend claims that Martin Luther, the 16th century Protestant reformer, was responsible for introducing the use of Christmas trees in the home. As the story goes, one night while walking to his house, Luther was so overwhelmed by the brilliance of the stars twinkling among the evergreens that he cut down a tree and brought it home to share with his family. .

He wanted to tell his family, but he was so overwhelmed by the beauty of what he had just witnessed that he was at a loss for words. So, to further recall the scene, he then lit candles on the tree to try to portray the magnificence he had just seen.

Brittany

And why are Christmas trees so popular in Britain? By Queen Victoria’s husband, the German Prince Albert. The two were seen in a drawing, standing by a Christmas tree, then in 1848 the prince allowed “The Illustrated London News” to print this very image. The Victorians had to! They spread the word and naturally everyone wanted one, even Americans who were also fascinated by Victorians. In the 1900s, Christmas trees were iconic around the world and decorations became BIG business.

America

Most Americans in the 19th century considered Christmas trees to be a quirk. It wasn’t until 1830 that German settlers put the first one on display. Before this, symbols like these were believed by Americans to be pagan. In fact, the Puritans wanted to keep Christmas sacred. They even introduced laws to prevent people from decorating and singing Christmas carols. How crazy is that?

Eventually, the President of the United States had one installed, and the tradition soon spread among those who could afford it. And boom. The use of Christmas trees around the world skyrocketed and grew every year until modern times.

From England’s royal family to America’s elite, Christmas trees have become the latest trend. Ironically, today, the Christmas tree is no longer Christian, but a powerful symbol to bring people together this festive time of year.

Aside from Christmas ideas for her and Christmas gifts for him, think about the idea of the Christmas tree at home and how it was born. Today, what town, city or community It is not Do you have a Christmas tree? Who can really imagine Christmas without a tree and all the decorations?

In addition to taking a look at the Christmas gifts, take a moment to really look at your tree this year and see the history…