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***image1***It can be seen all over now – in homes, department stores, churches, offices and on public places: the Christmas tree. It is the most popular symbol for the holidays. In Germany, many families stick to the old tradition to not put it up until Christmas Eve. And customarily, they keep it until Three Kings Day, Jan. 6.
The roots of the Christmas tree date back to Pagan times. Green branches were used to conjure summer during the celebration of winter solstice. Imitations of this tradition were kept throughout centuries.
The first decorated Christmas tree was documented in notes from a 1597 meeting in the town of Tuerckheim in the Alsace region, France. These documents list the different guilds’ expenses for tree decorations, and they also state that in order to protect the local forests, each citizen was allowed to only cut one tree. The same documents mention the type of decorations at that time — gingerbread, apples, sugar candy and paper flowers.
It is not documented whether the Christmas tree originates in the Alsace.
Several towns in the Black Forest also claim to be the place of origin for the Christmas tree. So, either from the Alsace or the Black Forest, the Christmas tree moved to the Pfalz region.
The first tree decorated with lights showed up in the former Palatinate metropolis of Heidelberg. In letters from 1708, electoral princess Lieselotte von der Pfalz mentioned a common box-tree with candles on every branch. She also talked about tables, which were set up like altars with presents for the children — clothes, dolls, candy and more.
Around 1800, Christmas trees hung down from the ceiling in smaller homes. They were decorated with little apples, nuts and sugar cookies, which of course were eaten, since people were poor.
Until the mid-19th century, only Protestants accepted the custom of putting up a Christmas tree. The most important Christmas symbol in Catholic regions was the nativity scene. Both customs had not been mingled and Catholics and Protestants stayed in their own regions. Finally, after Napoleon’s wars and the Vienna Congress, the Prussians moved into Catholic areas. From then, both religions the Christmas tree was a symbol of German culture.
Emigrating Germans spread the custom of the Christmas tree all over the world — to Russia, Brazil, and Mennonites and Amish people took it to their new homes in Pennsylvania.
