History Of The Christmas Tree

Ever wonder where the tradition of Christmas Tree came from?

Long before families where putting up the tree, decorating it with festive lights and ornaments during the holiday season, it was common to decorate the home in the winter months with evergreen boughs over the doors and windows. Due to the winter weather, which as we know, causes plants to die, ancient people of many countries, believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits and illness during the winter season.

According to History.com...

"In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well. Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return."

As times changed and Christians started celebrating the birth of Jesus Wikipedia.com reports...

The modern Christmas tree was developed in early modern Germany (where it is today called Weihnachtsbaum or Christbaum) with predecessors that can be traced to the 16th and possibly 15th century, in which devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes.^[1][2] It acquired popularity beyond Germany during the second half of the 19th century, at first among the upper classes.^[3]

At the start trees where decorated with nuts, fruit and other foods for guests to enjoy. It was not until the 18th century that people started placing candles on the tree to light it up (that's not dangerous).

The Christmas tree became popular in America in the early 1900's and has become one of best traditions in most homes today.