What is the Origin of the Christmas Tree?
- Nadia Renata
- Dec 14, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 4, 2025
Have you ever wondered where the tradition of the Christmas Tree came from? I've never actually thought about it before, until today. As it turns out the Christmas Tree has a much older and more fascinating history than many realise; one that stretches back long before Christianity and spans continents, cultures and centuries.
Let’s explore the story behind one of the world’s most beloved symbols of Christmas.
Before Christianity: The Evergreen as a Symbol of Life
Long before the Nativity story, evergreen plants were considered special by many ancient cultures because they remained green throughout the harsh winter months.
Pagan cultures believed evergreens held protective powers, warding off illness, witchcraft and evil spirits. Branches were placed over doors and windows during the Winter Solstice for protection and renewal.
The Romans, during the festival of Saturnalia, decorated their temples with evergreen boughs in honour of Saturn, the god of agriculture, a sign of hope for fruitful crops once spring returned.
The ancient Egyptians used green palm fronds as part of their worship of Ra, symbolising triumph of life over death.
Holly, ivy and mistletoe were prized because they blossomed in winter. They became symbols of fertility, protection and endurance.
These early traditions established the evergreen as a symbol of life, hope and resilience, long before it ever appeared at Christmas.
The First “Christmas Trees” in Europe
The earliest recorded use of a decorated tree during Christmas and New Year celebrations is debated between two European cities:
Tallinn, Estonia — 1441
Riga, Latvia — 1510
Both trees were erected by the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild of unmarried merchants and foreign traders in Livonia (modern-day Estonia and Latvia). These trees were placed in guild halls, decorated with sweets and used during communal celebrations.
Some accounts say the trees were later taken to public squares and burned, possibly inspiring the tradition of the Yule Log.
Germany: The Birthplace of the Modern Christmas Tree
Germany is widely credited with shaping the Christmas tree into the form we recognise today. By the early 16th century:
Christian families brought fir trees into their homes.
They decorated them with wafers, fruit, nuts, gingerbread and apples.
Families who could not afford a tree built wooden pyramids stacked like trees and decorated them instead.
As time passed, glassmakers in Germany began producing delicate ornaments, the ancestors of the baubles we still use today.
Originally, a figure of the Baby Jesus was placed at the top of the tree, but this later shifted to an angel or star symbolising the Nativity story.
The Martin Luther Legend
A popular tradition credits Martin Luther, the 16th-century German preacher and central figure of the Protestant Reformation, with introducing candle-lit trees to the home.
According to legend, Luther was walking through a forest on a winter night and was struck by how the stars shone through the branches. Wanting to share the moment with his children, he brought a tree inside and decorated it with candles to represent Christ as the light of the world.
Whether legend or fact, the image has shaped how the world imagines early Christmas trees.
The Christmas Tree Spreads Across the World
As German immigrants moved across Europe and the Americas, they brought the tradition with them.
In the United States
Early Puritans considered Christmas trees pagan and even dangerous. In 1659, Massachusetts banned any Christmas celebration, except church attendance.Decorating homes, including hanging evergreen branches, carried fines.
It wasn’t until the 19th century, with waves of German and Irish immigration, that Christmas trees began to take root. The first publicly displayed tree was recorded in Pennsylvania in the 1830s.
In the United Kingdom
The tree became a beloved British tradition thanks to royalty:
Queen Charlotte, German-born wife of King George III, is believed to have introduced the first Christmas tree to Windsor Castle in 1800.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert later popularised it further. A drawing published in 1848 showed their family gathered around a decorated tree and the public quickly followed suit.
The same illustration appeared in the United States two years later, influencing American households as well.
20th Century to Today: A Tradition That Evolved and Endured
By the early 1900s:
Candles were replaced by electric string lights, making trees safer and more accessible.
Glass ornaments, popcorn strings, feathers, and handmade decorations grew in popularity.
Artificial trees became common, offering more variety in height, colour, and style.
Today, Christmas trees are embraced by millions of people around the world, Christians and non-Christians alike. They are raised in homes at the start of Advent or closer to Christmas Eve and traditionally removed on the Twelfth Night (5 January), the eve of Epiphany.
In Trinidad and Tobago, Christmas trees blend faith with festivity, standing alongside parang music, black cake, pastelles, sorrel and ginger beer as part of the season’s joy.
Alive, Evolving and Meaningful
From ancient solstice rituals to royal European courts and modern global traditions, the Christmas tree has travelled through time as a symbol of:
Life
Hope
Endurance
Light
Celebration
No matter what type of tree you choose, how you decorate it or when you put it up, one thing remains true: The Christmas tree is a living reminder that light endures, hope renews and tradition connects us across generations.
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