Have you ever wondered about the origins of our Christmas tree traditions? It is a fascinating story and one that I hope will encourage you to keep your focus on Christ this holiday season.
I became interested in Christmas traditions when my wife and I were first married and we had to decide which traditions we would bring into our yuletide celebrations. Someone gave us a copy of Ace Collins’ book Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas and we have been using that as our textbook ever since.
In his research on Christmas trees, Collins found that the first people to bring trees into their homes were actually Scandinavian people from the modern countries of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The reason behind domesticating wild evergreen trees was that during the Middle Ages the people were deeply superstitious and they thought there was special power in the trees that could stay green during the harshest days of winter. By bringing the trees into their homes, they were able to find “hope and strength” for the long winter months.
In the seventh century, a monk by the name of St. Boniface, was sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in the region of modern day Germany. Many people living in this area of Europe were also superstitious and they believed there was something special about evergreen trees. St. Boniface was able to use the evergreen tree as an illustration of God to the people in the region. He described how the God who created the evergreen was more powerful than the tree and he used the three points of the tree to point to the reality of the triune God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Later during the middle ages, many Catholic Churches would install an evergreen tree in front of the church during December. They were called “paradise trees” and would explain the story of Adam and Eve to children. It wasn’t until 16th century that fir trees became known as Christmas trees. Many people in the small country of Latvia had developed a tradition of putting a small fir tree on a table in their home during the Christmas season. The idea became popularized when it was introduced to European royalty.
It wasn’t until later in the 16th century that the Christmas tree tradition as we know it became established. I found it fascinating that Martin Luther, the great pastor of the German Reformation, is said to have started the tradition of putting lights on an indoor Christmas tree. He tied candleholders onto the evergreen branches and then lit candles in them. He taught his family that the tree “represented the everlasting love of God.” Unfortunately, many homes were caught on fire because of this dangerous tradition, but the idea of putting lights on a Christmas tree was established.
The Christmas tree tradition was introduced in America during the revolutionary war, but it didn’t catch on until around the time of the civil war when Americans saw the tradition become popular in England. In 1851, a business man named Mark Carr, realized that people would pay for pre-cut Christmas trees. So he took a huge sled and brought trees to the citizens of New York. People loved having a fresh tree in their home and so the tradition took off.
Collins’ writes how in the 1880s, “Christmas trees were so popular that many worried the seasonal rush to obtain them would make fir trees extinct.” That is when artificial trees were made to keep up with the demand.
There is still a strong debate today about whether a family should use an artificial or a real tree. Understanding the history of Christmas trees reminds us that the form of the tree is not what is the most important. It is the symbol behind that tree that matters. For our family, we love to talk about how the tree represents the Triune God and how the lights point toward Jesus Christ, who came to take away the sins of the world. John 8:12 makes it clear that he understood this when he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
My prayer is that we would all take the time to carefully consider the Christmas traditions we keep and make sure that we are keeping the focus on Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
