Christmas is creeping closer and closer, which means that the Christmas tree is inching into our living rooms once again. You can head out today and buy your Christmas Tree from Home Depot and when you use a Home Depot Money Off Coupon from We Are Coupons you can save money too. But what's the history behind this festive decoration? Where did the tradition even come from? From ancient pagan beliefs to Germanic folklore, here are some interesting facts about the history of trees at Christmastime!
The Tree in Paganism
The Christmas tree has roots in pagan traditions. During the Roman Saturnalia, people would decorate their homes with evergreens, fruit, and candles to symbolize the winter solstice. The Romans believed that by eating evergreens at this time of year, they could dispel any evil spirits that might come their way.
Eventually, people began to adopt the tradition of bringing green branches into their homes during Christmastime for aesthetic purposes. They didn't have electric lights yet!
The Tree in Germanic Folklore
In ancient Germanic folklore, a fir tree was important to the winter solstice celebration. The tree would be decorated with edible things like apples and honey, and the roots of the tree were filled with treats like meat and grain. It's believed that these trees were meant to represent life through the dark winter months.
This tree tradition also reflected one of their religious beliefs: for this group of people, Yule was a time to celebrate rebirth. This idea is echoed in modern practices—after all, Christmas is all about celebrating Jesus Christ's birth!
Christmas Trees Today
For most people, Christmas trees are synonymous with the holiday season. Whether you're decorating an artificial tree or cutting down a live one, there's just something about that tradition that brings cheer to every household!
And yet, this practice dates back to ancient pagan beliefs which celebrated nature during winter months. Traditionally, they would decorate their homes with holly and evergreen branches in order to honor their gods of light and life.
The tradition of trees at Christmastime is thought to have originated in Germany. The first recorded instance of Christmas trees can be traced back to 1605 in Strasbourg, France when the tradition began spreading throughout Europe.
Today, live Christmas trees are sent all over the world for people to enjoy. With every year that passes, more citizens celebrate this wonderful holiday tradition by buying or cutting down a tree!
Conclusion
The popular tradition of a Christmas tree stems from Germanic folklore. In those legends, popularized by the Brothers Grimm, an angel is seen throwing nuts and berries onto a fir tree and declaring it the best of all the trees. From this legend, we see that Christmas trees symbolize evergreens that stay green throughout winter – and ultimately – life itself.
But there's another side to this story: Some believe that the tradition started as a pagan ritual. The Romans decorated their homes with evergreen boughs to celebrate Saturnalia. And in northern Europe, evergreens were used for Yule celebrations because they symbolized life in the dark days of winter.
Whatever your beliefs about how the tradition came about, it's clear that trees have been an essential part of holiday celebrations for centuries. And now you can decorate your own living room with some festive décor!
