Christmas Tree.

The custom of trimming and lighting a Christmas tree had it's origin in pre-Christian Germany. The tree, then called the "Paradise Baum" or tree of paradise, was meant to symbolize the Garden of Eden. It was decorated with apples in honor of Adam and Eve and placed in Medieval European homes on Christmas Eve. Gradually, other countries caught on and the custom of decorating the tree with cookies, fruit, and eventually candles and other baubles evolved. Charles Dickens called it - "The Pretty German Toy".

Nowadays, the Christmas tree has become an important part of the holidays in many countries around the world. In Austria, children are taught that their tree, which it decorated with lights, colored ornaments, gold and silver garlands, cookies and candies, is brought to them on Christmas Eve by the "Kristkindl", a  golden-hair baby with wings who symbolizes the new born Christ. The baby comes down from heaven on Christmas Eve and,  with his band of angels, decorates and distributes the trees.

In England, the Christmas tree did not gain popularity until 1840, when Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria introduced one into the Royal Household. Ever since 1947, the country of Norway had presented Britain annually with a large Christmas tree which stands in Trafalgar Square in commemoration of Anglo-Norwegian cooperation during the Second World War.

The Swedish Christmas tree is not brought into the home until one or two days before Christmas. Then it is decorated with brightly wrapped candies, glass bulbs, and often straw trinkets, with electric lights or candles.

Hawaiian Christmas trees are surrounded with fragrant flowers and leis.

Regardless of your Christmas tree, whether it be real or fake, take a step back this Holiday season and remember the beginning of this favorite tradition, and how it evolved from country to country.

BACK NEXT   Back To Christmas Information