The custom of erecting a decorated Christmas tree can be traced to 15th century Livonia (present-day Estonia and Latvia) and 16th century Northern Germany.
It is understood that the Brotherhood of Blackheads in Estonia erected a tree in 1441 in their Brotherhood House in Reval (now Tallinn) on the last night of holiday celebrations.
The tree was taken to the Town Hall Square where the members of the Brotherhood danced around it.
In 1584, the pastor and chronicler Balthasar Russow wrote about an established tradition of setting up a decorated spruce at the market square where young men “went with a flock of maiden and women, first sang and danced there and then set the tree aflame.” The Christmas Tree became widely adopted by the Estonians only in the 19th century.
German tradition
During the Middle Ages, mystery plays at Christmas time within churches in Germany often featured an evergreen ‘Paradise tree,’ from which an apple was plucked. The first evidence of Christmas Trees outside of a church was found in the 16th century, with trees in guildhalls decorated with sweets to be enjoyed by the apprentices and children.
The modern Christmas tree originated in Western Germany.
The main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a fir tree hung with apples (Paradise Tree) representing the Garden of Eden.
The Germans set up a Paradise Tree in their homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. They hung wafers on it (symbolising the host, the Christian sign of Redemption).
In later years, the wafers were replaced by cookies of various shapes.
Candles too were often added as the symbol of Christ.
In the same room, during the Christmas season, was the Christmas pyramid, a triangular construction of wood, with shelves to hold Christmas figurines, decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star.
By the 16th century, the Christmas Pyramid and Paradise Tree merged, becoming the Christmas Tree.
By the early 18th century, the custom had become common in towns of upper Rhineland but it had not yet spread to rural areas. Roman Catholics regarded it as a Protestant custom.
British legacy
In Britain, Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (of George III) introduced the Christmas Tree in early 19th century in the time of the personal union with Hanover. But the custom did not spread beyond the Royal Family.
As a child, Queen Victoria was familiar with the custom and a Tree was placed in her room every Christmas.
In her journal for Christmas Eve 1832, the delighted 13-year-old princess wrote, “After dinner, we went into the drawing room. There were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed round the trees.”
By 1841, after her marriage to her German cousin Prince Albert, the custom became widespread throughout Britain.
In 1847, Prince Albert wrote, “I must now seek in the children an echo of what Ernest [his brother] and I were in the old time, of what we felt and thought; and their delight in Christmas Trees was not less than ours used to be.”
In some cities, a Festival of Trees is organised around the decoration and display of multiple trees at charity events.
Commemorative gift
In some cases, the trees represent special commemorative gifts, such as in Trafalgar Square in London, where the City of Oslo, Norway presents a tree to the people of London as a token of appreciation for the British support of Norwegian resistance during World War Two.
Norway also annually gifts a Christmas Tree to Washington DC as a symbol of friendship between Norway and the US and as an expression of gratitude from Norway for the help received from the US during World War Two.
In New Zealand, Pōhutukawa trees are described as ‘Native Christmas Trees,’ as they bloom at Christmas time and look like Christmas trees with their red flowers and green foliage.
