The History of the Christmas Tree
November 21, 2011
There is nothing more iconic during the holiday season than the Christmas tree. The bright decorations, natural evergreen grace, and rich scent all conspire in such a way that the tree seems to fill the senses and make a permanent mark in our memories. The tradition of bringing an evergreen into the home and decorating it stretches back into the centuries of western history, though it didn't reach widespread practice until the 19th century.
The earliest claim of the first Christmas tree dates to the 7th century, which credits the idea to Saint Boniface, the Apostle of Germans. There are several myths associated with this claim, such as that Boniface used the triangular shape of the tree to explain the Holy Trinity to non-believers. Another version says that Boniface cut down an oak tree worshipped by pagans, and used a fir tree growing in its roots as a symbol of Jesus. However this seems unlikely since the first recorded usages of a Christmas tree comes from the 15th and 16th centuries in Estonia and Germany.
The first record of a Christmas tree comes from Estonia in 1441, where a fellowship of soldiers merchants called the Brotherhood of Blackheads stood a pine in the Town Hall square and danced around it in celebration of the holidays. Later in 1539, the records of the Cathedral of Strasbourg describe a pine tree erected in celebration of Christmas. Then again in 1570, a merchant guild in Bremen is recorded as standing and decorating a pine tree with fruits, nuts, and other treats for the benefit of their member's children, who would then snack on the goodies on Christmas Day. By 1584 a chronicler explained that placing a decorated spruce in a town's market square where young men and women would dance was a well established tradition.
By the early 1700's the Christmas tree was a common tradition in Germany's Rhineland, further undermining the St. Boniface myth since the Christmas tree was primarily considered a regional Protestant tradition by the Catholic south in Germany. The practice reached the shores of North America during the American Revolution thanks to German mercenaries fighting for the British. However the turning point for the Christmas tree came in the early 1800's as the tradition finally spread into the rest of Germany and was adopted by the Catholic Church. By the mid 19th century decorating a pine tree for Christmas became all the rage with Europe's nobility, who would stand them in their dining rooms and place gifts for their children around the base.
Today, the tree has found its way into homes, town and city squares, and lobbies all throughout the western world. And in spite the relentless commercialization of the holidays, the Christmas tree tradition has maintained the humble authenticity of its origins: a celebration of life in the chill of winter.
At BloomRite® Gardens we specialize in indoor and potted flowering plants, so the sale of 7ft pines is a bit out of our bailiwick! However, we do have a plethora of smaller pines and conifers perfect for places where a large and stately Nobel Fir would be impractical. Ranging from our diminutive European Cypress trees, to our bushy Norfolk Island Pines standing 4 feet tall, we have something appropriate for almost any holiday setting. Check out our holiday availability list for details of sizes and pricing, and give us a call to place an order!
