Christmas trees have made a resurgence in 2020. Yes, they are always popular for the holiday season, but given 2020, people are returning to old traditions. (And anyone who normally forewent putting up a tree because they weren’t at home during the holidays probably is at home this year…) Across Canada, Christmas tree farms and lots have sold out in a record-breaking amount of time- everyone wants one. But why do we love Christmas trees so much, and why are they still so popular? Let’s look at the history of Christmas trees, and why they are so important in 2020.
The Early History of Christmas Trees
Many people will attribute the “first” Christmas tree to St. Boniface in the 8th century, where he apparently used the shape and colour to teach the Germanic tribes about the Holy Trinity and ever-lasting life. There aren’t any contemporary sources to collaborate this, though.
In the Middle Ages, Christmas-themed mystery plays (always based on Biblical stories) often featured a fir tree standing in for the lost Paradise. The plays slowly faded in popularity but people did continue to have trees at the holiday season. We don’t actually see a surviving record of a decorated tree until 1605, though- it was decorated with paper roses, wafers, apples, candies, and sugar lumps.
Let There Be Light (On The Tree!)
Ah, at the darkest time of the year, we crave light and warmth more than ever. We light our Christmas trees up, with a raging debate between coloured and white lights persisting to this day. However, obviously LED lights weren’t an option in the past… Candles it is! The first recorded account of candles in a tree is 1660. People have also credit Protestant reformer, Martin Luther with adding candles, but as you can see, he pre-dates our first record by over 100 years.
The Christmas Tree as Royal PR
Though the credit is incorrectly given as Prince Albert most often, Queen Charlotte (wife of George III) introduced the Christmas tree to Britain. Charlotte of Mecklinberg-Strelitz grew up in a German principality, and brought the tradition of a decorated Yew bough to England. In 1800, instead of a single Yew bough, Charlotte had a Yew tree brought into the Queen’s Lodge for the children’s Christmas party. The tree was decorated with candles, different dried fruits, and even toys for the children.
We see the shift to the table-top trees with Prince Albert, though. He would have been thoroughly familiar with the tradition, growing up in Coburg, and wanted to continue it for his own family. Each member of the family would have a table with a tree, and all of their gifts would be placed underneath it. They would have trees set up in the barracks for the military. And photographs and postcards of the royal family at Christmas spread the tradition to other parts of the empire, like Canada.
The Christmas Tree in 2020
The Christmas tree has undoubtedly been immensely popular in 2020. Many of my friends finally got their first tree this year! And many others made the switch from artificial tree to real. But why? I’ve got a few theories. Firstly, most of us aren’t going anywhere for the holidays. Many people choose not to have their own tree because they are always out at holiday events or travelling home to see their family. However, neither of those things is probably happening this year. (I know, it depends on where you are and what is legal, but few governments are encouraging travel.) So, if you are home, you can enjoy that Christmas tree!
And I think that there are a few reasons that people are switching to real trees. In times of stress and sadness, we turn to traditions. And the tradition of a real Christmas tree is centuries old. People are also looking at ways to make their holiday celebrations more sustainable, as well. You need to use your artificial tree for at least 8-10 years before you will “break even”, environmentally. (So no swapping out for a newer tree!) And Christmas tree farms tend replant one to one, meaning that one tree is planted to replace the one that you bring home. (If you buy yours from a local tree farm or nursery, you are helping to support your local economy!) In any case, the Christmas tree is bigger than ever this year.
More Holiday History!
If you are interested in more holiday history and how our beloved Christmas traditions came to be, please get yourself a copy of An Historian’s Guide to Christmas- 2,000 Years of Holiday History! Along with Christmas trees, I look at many of the staples of Christmas celebrations and dive into why we do what we do. (I would incredibly grateful for your support!) You can purchase it here!
Did you know the history of Christmas trees?
Cheers,
The Historian
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