The history of the Christmas tree

For many people, having a Christmas tree is a lovely Christmas tradition, but why did people start to bring a green tree into their homes?

Accessibility icon The history of the Christmas tree

The tree as an important symbol

Trees are an important symbol in many cultures. In Norse mythology, the world tree Yggdrasil was important. It symbolised life during the winter when the rest of nature went to sleep.

Hender som holder et spirende furutre ute i naturen
Hender som holder et spirende furutre ute i naturen

Green plants become an important decoration

At the Viking Christmas feast “jólablót”, people would decorate their homes with evergreen trees and bushes like juniper, pine and holly. The green plants were supposed to provide protection against ghosts and evil spirits. The Vikings believed that supernatural beings lived inside the branches and took them inside so that they wouldn’t freeze in the winter.

Julekrans lagt på en tre bakgrunn
Julekrans lagt på en tre bakgrunn

The tradition of the Christmas tree

The Christmas tree tradition as we know it today started in Germany. The Germans started to decorate Christmas trees as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that this tradition came to Norway.

The first known Christmas tree in Norway was brought in by a family living in Christiania in 1822. They had been visiting some relatives in Denmark and Germany and had seen Christmas trees there. They liked the tradition, and brought it home with them. A few years later, more families followed and did the same. The tradition of the Christmas tree first started with priests, teachers and the richest people in society. But eventually the tradition spread to the whole population.

Illustrasjon av mor og datter som pynter juletre

A pagan custom

Not everyone was positive about this new tradition. Some people believed it to be a pagan tradition which did not fit in. Others saw the green tree as a symbol of endless life, which is something that is central to Christianity. This is how the Christmas tree became one of our most important Christmas traditions.

Illustrasjon av et juletre som har falt
Illustrasjon av et juletre som har falt

The sparkling tree

Since the 19th century, the Christmas tree has been decorated with lights. Light carries an important symbolism in different cultures. 

The light on the Christmas tree is meant to symbolise and remind people of Jesus as the light of the world. In the beginning it was common to have candles in the tree. They were fastened with melted wax or pinned to the branch. This wasn’t entirely risk-free, as from time to time the tree could start burning!

Electric Christmas tree lighting could be bought in America from 1890 onwards. The White House was the first to have a Christmas tree that had over 100 lights. The electric lights were expensive. It wasn’t until around the Second World War that Christmas lights became cheaper, so that most people were able to replace the candles.

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Levende lys på juletre som blir tent på
Levende lys på juletre som blir tent på

Star light, shine bright

The most common ornament to have on the top of the Christmas tree is a star. But some people have also used angels or other figurines on top of their tree. The star symbolises the star that shone over the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The first stars were made out of tin foil or silver glitter.

Mor med sønn på skuldrene som setter julestjerne på toppen av et juletre

Edible decorations

The first ever Christmas tree decorations were cookies (often gingerbread men) and apples. Sweet treats such as nuts, raisins or dried fruit were placed in Christmas baskets made of paper or straw. On the 6th day of Christmas, you could eat the treats from the tree.

Julebakst lagt ut på et tre bord
Julebakst lagt ut på et tre bord

Christmas tree decorations

Long strands of glitter, called tinsel, were also among some of the first decorations used. It was used in France from as early as the 16th century. Copper wire was pulled out into thin strands and rolled flat. 

Other common decorations were paper flowers and tin stars and crosses. Baubles of glass and figurines (shaped like apples, musical instruments, flowers and Santas) also become popular. Eventually, hanging flags on the tree also became common. Later, papercraft decorations and paper chains were also made, a tradition that many people still have today. As people started to become financially stronger, decorations were purchased and became common on the modern Christmas tree.


⬅  Illustration of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of England and their children. December 1848.

Illustrasjon av Dronning Victoria av England, Prince Albert og deres barn, desember 1848.

Life in the Christmas Tree

When should the tree be decorated?

In Norway, the tree was originally decorated on 23 December. This was a sign of the start of the Christmas season. Nowadays the tree is decorated earlier and earlier.

In today’s world, the whole family will often take part in the decoration, but this hasn’t always been the case. In the 19th century, especially in the more upper-class homes, it was traditionally the adults who decorated the tree and only let the children see the tree once the lights were lit.

To barn som velger ut et juletre
To barn som velger ut et juletre

The Norwegian “Juletrefest”

The Norwegian tradition “juletrefest” (Christmas tree party) started in Norway in the mid-19th century. It was mainly teachers and priests who made this a tradition. This led to the Christmas tree traditions becoming more known in the villages. The first Christmas tree party that we know of was at the Student Union in Christiania in the 1840s. Dancing around the Christmas tree and playing games such as London Bridge is Falling Down and What’s the Time Mr Wolf became very popular. In the 20th century, it became common for Santa Claus to make an appearance at the party with gifts or sweets for the children.

Juletrefest i 1969
Juletrefest i 1969

The Spruce for London

The legend of why the spruce was chosen to be the Christmas tree

God wanted people to have something in their homes that reminded them of the reasons that we celebrate Christmas. He sent out three of his angels to look for a tree that would be suitable. The angels of Faith, Hope and Love were chosen for the task. They flew over mountains and fields looking for the perfect tree. Snow lay heavily across all the land, glistening in the starlight. While the angels were flying, they discussed which tree they should choose. The tree I choose, said the Angel of Faith, will bear the mark of the cross.

It must be tall with a top pointing up to the sky. The Angel of Hope said: I want the tree to be the colour of hope. It must be evergreen and never wither, it must remain green in the summer and the winter. The Angel of Love, who was always very loving and kind, said: The tree I’d like to see chosen must be a tree that provides shelter to small birds and animals, and it must bear fruit that can feed them when the winter is severe and cold.

Eventually, they found a tree that ticked all the boxes: the spruce. It bears crosses on all its branches. It is green all year round, and it provides shelter for birds in its branches and room for rabbits at its foot. It also bears cones on its branches that can provide food for the modest.

Once they had found the tree, each of the angels wanted to give a gift; the Angel of Faith gave it shining Christmas lights to remind people of ‘the Light of the world. The Angel of Hope decorated it with angel hair, ladders and hearts and the Angel of Love filled it with gifts from foot to top, and put a golden star on the top, in memory of the greatest gift ever given to mankind who was born on Christmas Day out of love for us all.

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Illustrasjon av en familie som går rundt et juletre av Viggo Johansen
Illustrasjon av en familie som går rundt et juletre av Viggo Johansen

Christmas tree traditions around the world

There are many different traditions around the world. Here are some of them.

France

Fruit, and especially red apples are common on Christmas trees. The apples are linked to the story about the Garden of Eden.

USA

Popcorn on a string is often put on the tree, a tradition that is believed to originate from the time when outdoor trees were decorated with food for birds and other wildlife.

Australia

Christmas is during the sunny summer months in Australia. Different variations of shell  decorations are common Christmas tree decorations.

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Juletre pynt i ulike land, rødt eple, popkorn og skjell
Juletre pynt i ulike land, rødt eple, popkorn og skjell

Finland

The “himmeli” is a traditional Finnish ornament. It is a geometric straw decoration. It is usually hung above the dining table and is believed to bring a good harvest. Some people use smaller versions of the “himmeli” as Christmas tree decorations.

The Netherlands

“Kerstkransjes” cookies in the shape of small Christmas wreaths are hung on the tree.

Japan

Christmas is not traditionally celebrated in Japan. People who do celebrate Christmas in Japan often use origami as Christmas tree decorations.

Ukraine

Glittery spiderwebs and spiders are used as Christmas tree decorations as a representation of good luck.

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Read the legend of the spider and the tree here.
Juletre pynt i ulike land, himmeli, kerstkransjes, origami og spindelvev med edderkop
Juletre pynt i ulike land, himmeli, kerstkransjes, origami og spindelvev med edderkop

Sources:

  • Magisk jul (2020)
    Orage Forlag AS
  • Stovner, Ina Louise: juletre i Store norske leksikon på snl.no.
    Hentet 6. november 2020 fra https://snl.no/juletre

 

Media Rights:

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    8. The Webster Museum
    9. 12 News – YouTube
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    11. Oslo museum
    12. On Demand News – YouTube
    13. Viggo Johansen 
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