| You may not realize this but the history of | | | | boughs was more protective than |
| christmas trees did not begin in America, | | | | celebratory.By the 12th century indoor trees |
| England or even Germany. In fact America was | | | | were brought inside. Nobody is sure why but |
| one of the last continents to catch on to the | | | | originally Christmas trees were hung |
| tradition of decorating the Christmas tree. | | | | upside-down from ceilings at Christmastime. |
| The history of christmas trees begins long | | | | This was a popular custom in Central Europe. |
| before the birth of Christ and even before | | | | The upside down tree was seen as both as a |
| the Egyptian civilizations.Many historians | | | | symbol of Christianity and a pagan symbol. At |
| and anthropologists agree that the history of | | | | that point Christianity was not wide spread |
| christmas trees begins in post-primeval | | | | and the tree may have been a nod to both |
| times, just as agricultural societies were | | | | pagan and Christian traditions.It is widely |
| developing across the globe. Christmas did | | | | believed that the history of the Christmas |
| not exist. It was simply, in one culture or | | | | tree as we know it began in Germany in the |
| another, a pagan celebration of the winter | | | | sixteenth century. However few people realize |
| solstice. The winter solstice marks the | | | | that the tree was not brought inside and that |
| shortest day of the year which usually occurs | | | | in fact, the first decorated christmas tree |
| on the 22nd or 23rd of December. The boughs | | | | was a pyramid made of wood. These German |
| of evergreen trees were brought indoors to | | | | indoor pyramids were decorated with boughs |
| protect inhabitants from the evil spirits | | | | and candles. Often jars of pickles were set |
| that could cause starvation and | | | | on the steps. The pyramid shape was not a |
| illness.Ancient peoples also scattered | | | | direct inspiration from ancient Egypt but |
| evergreen boughs over their floors, doors and | | | | rather, the triangular shape was thought to |
| around the windows. In fact, the tradition of | | | | represent the three points of the Holy |
| hanging an evergreen garland comes from the | | | | Trinity - the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.The |
| tradition of hanging evergreens over the | | | | person credited with adding lighted candles |
| mantelpiece to keep witches, ghosts and | | | | to a real tree is Martin Luther - a German |
| spirits from traveling down the chimney and | | | | Protestant reformer who lived in the mid |
| into the house.Evergreen boughs were also | | | | 1600s. The legend is that he was inspired to |
| used to keep away illness. Scents such as | | | | do so by the sight of stars in the night sky |
| pine, juniper and balsam are still used by | | | | peeking through the limbs of an evergreen |
| aromatherapists today to fend off illness and | | | | while he was on a walk.The next big |
| winter depression.Even the ancient Egyptians | | | | development in the history of christmas trees |
| were thought to play a role in the history of | | | | was tinsel. Tinsel was invented in Germany |
| christmas trees. Of course there were no | | | | around 1610. At that time, tinsel was made of |
| evergreen forests in ancient Egypt but during | | | | real silver and it tarnished easily thanks to |
| the solstice they filled their homes with | | | | the smoke from the christmas tree candles. |
| palm rushes to protect themselves from evil | | | | Silver was used for tinsel right up to the |
| and celebrate the return of their Sun God | | | | mid-20th century when it was replaced by |
| Ra.European and Mediterranean cultures also | | | | aluminum.The history of christmas trees was |
| have episodes in the long saga that is part | | | | non-existent in America until about the |
| of the history of christmas trees. On the | | | | 1840s. They were sometimes displayed as |
| solstice, known as Saturnalia, the Romans | | | | curios in traveling sideshows. The christmas |
| decorated their homes with evergreen boughs. | | | | tree decorating ritual was considered |
| This honored the God Saturn whose domain was | | | | sacrilegious for most of the 17th and 18th |
| agriculture. Further north, the Celtic Druids | | | | century. It was seen as a mockery of the |
| used evergreens on the darkest day of the | | | | sober celebration of the birth of Christ. In |
| year to symbolize eternal life. These trees | | | | fact in 1659, people were fined for hanging |
| were not decorated as we know them today. | | | | decorations. This law continued until the |
| They were not much more decorative than the | | | | 19th century when the tradition was brought |
| famous Charlie brown christmas tree. This is | | | | more into common practice by German and Irish |
| because the function of these evergreen | | | | immigrants to the United States. |