How Did the Evergreen Tree Become a Symbol of Christmas?

This guide provides a clear overview of how did the evergreen tree become a symbol of christmas, including how it works, key details, and practical considerations that can help you use the information effectively.

Overview

When did the evergreen tree, also known as the Christmas tree, become a symbol of Christmas? Read on to learn about the origin of this Christmas tree!

Many people look forward to bringing home a traditional Christmas tree. There's nothing quite like picking out the biggest evergreen from the store, decorating it, and waiting for the day to open the presents. Trees are an essential part of the holiday season, but how did the tradition begin? Pagan solstice celebrations, German influence, and Queen Victoria's popularity are the main reasons for the popularity of this custom.

Believe it or not, evergreens originally had nothing to do with Christianity—despite their religious connections. Historically, many ancient cultures viewed the sun as a deity whose power waxed and waned throughout the year. When the winter solstice (the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere) arrived on December 21 or 22, it was a sign that the sun god was about to regain his power. They brought evergreens into their homes to mark the return of the sun and to evoke warmer, more lush times to come. People from many parts of the world, including Egypt, Rome, and Northern Europe, celebrated the winter solstice in this way.

As Texas A&M history professor Troy Bickham wrote on the university's blog, many Europeans continued to practice pagan winter solstice traditions even as Christmas became popular. However, the Christmas tree as we know it today did not emerge until the 16th century. In an effort to distance themselves from the Catholic Church, Protestant leaders in Germany promoted the Christmas tree as an alternative to the nativity scene, also known as the birth of Jesus. German religious reformer Martin Luther is credited with being the first to decorate a Christmas tree with candles.

The first European settlers in North America considered Christmas and the tradition of evergreens to be sacrilegious. Puritan colonists in Massachusetts even fined people caught celebrating the holiday. When Germans immigrated to the United States in the 18th century, they brought their Christmas traditions with them, and the Christmas tree became popular with them.

Queen Victoria played a major role in cementing the Christmas tree's place in popular culture. Her mother and husband were from Germany, bringing with them influences for royal holiday celebrations, which included decorating a large evergreen tree and placing gifts beneath its branches. The custom of Christmas trees became popular in England after an 1848 edition of the London Illustrated News showed the queen and her family decorating a tree. On the other hand, the American middle class, who greatly admired Victorian culture at the time, adopted the trend. Today, 25 to 30 million Christmas trees are sold annually in the United States.