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. Yggdrasil is a tree from Norse mythology. This tree symbolises life during the winter.

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

Green plants become an important decoration

The Vikings decorated with different evergreen trees and bushes at Christmas. They thought that the plants protected them against ghosts and evil spirits. The Vikings thought that supernatural beings lived inside the trees and took the plants 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 tradition of decorating Christmas trees started in Germany in the 16th and 17th centuries. This tradition came to Norway in the 19th century. 

The first known Christmas tree in Norway was brought in by a family living in Christiania in 1822. They had seen Christmas trees in Denmark and Germany and brought the tradition home with them. In the beginning, priests, teachers and rich people decorated Christmas trees. But soon, the tradition became common with more and more people.

Illustrasjon av mor og datter som pynter juletre

A pagan custom

Not all people liked the new tradition. Some people believed it to be a pagan tradition. Others thought that the green tree meant endless life, which is central in Christianity.  

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

The sparkling tree

From the beginning, people decorated the Christmas tree with lights. Lights are important symbols in different cultures. 

The lights are meant to remind people of Jesus as the light of the world. At first, they had real candles in the tree, which were fastened with wax. This was dangerous because the tree could start burning!

Electric Christmas tree lighting could be bought in America from 1890. The White House was first, with a Christmas tree that had over 100 lights. Electric lights were expensive, but around the Second World War, they became cheaper and more people could afford them.

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

Star light, shine bright

Most people have a star on the top of the tree. But some decorate with an angel or other figures. The star symbolises the star that shone over Bethlehem when Jesus was born. 

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

Edible decorations

The oldest Christmas tree decorations were cookies and apples. People made baskets of paper and put things like nuts and raisins in them. 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

Glitter was also one of the first decorations. In France, they started to use it in the 16th century. Copper wire was pulled out into thin strands and rolled flat.

Other common decorations were paper flowers, and stars and crosses made out of metal. Figures shaped as apples, musical instruments, flowers and Santa and also round glass balls were common. Later, flags and paper chains became popular. When people got more money, it became common to buy decorations.

⬅  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?

From the beginning, the tree was decorated on 23 December in Norway. Nowadays, the tree is decorated earlier and earlier. 

The whole family usually takes part in decorating the tree. It hasn’t always been like that. In the 19th century, it was common for adults to decorate the tree and the children could only see it when it was finished.

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 started with priests and teachers who made this a tradition and then it spread to all people. The first Christmas tree party that we know of was in 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. Now, Santa Claus comes to the party with gifts or sweets for the kids.

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 examples of what people hang on their Christmas trees.

France

Fruit, especially red apples, are common on the Christmas tree.

USA

Popcorn on a string. The tradition comes from when people decorated trees outside with food for the animals.

Australia

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

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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 straw ornament. 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

Not many people celebrate Christmas in Japan. But those who do often use origami as decorations.

Ukraine

Glittery spiderwebs and spiders. It represents good luck. Read the legend of the spider and the tree here.

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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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