A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, ideally a pine or fir, and has been associated with the celebration of Christmas tradition. However, an artificial Christmas trees are also used for this historic occasion. Christmas tradition shows that the Christmas tree is decorated with edibles such as nuts or dates. In the 18th century, on Christmas tradition, a new trend had been set when the fashion of decorating Christmas with candles became very famous and become very part of the Christmas tree history. Furthermore, the Christmas tree history can be traced back to 15th or 16th century and had been known as the “Yule Tree”.
Possible Predecessors:
It is clear that the modern day Christmas tree is the gift from the Renaissance movement and Germany. It would be interesting to note that the Christmas tradition had become modernized when Protestants Christian reformer Martin Luther first added lighted candle to the tree. As enunciated by the Britannica Encyclopedia, the worshiping of tree had been common in ancient Egypt and Hebrew society and their conversion to Christianity brought this tradition to the modern day. In the Scandinavian customs, the houses and trees are decorated as it strengthened the house hold to fight against evil. Also, while discussing the Christmas tree history, it would be interesting to note that t it has also been called as the “Tree of Paradise” and decorated with the apples (The forbidden fruit) in order to establish a linkage to the Adam and Eve.
Early Evidences:
Christmas tradition of decorating tree can be traced to the period of Renaissance in Northern Germany and Livonia, the centers of modernized education at that time. Christmas tree history has its roots in Livonia where the trees, on Christmas day, were decorated with sweets to make children happy and for their amusement. In 1441, 1442, 1510 and 1514, Brotherhood of Blackheads erected a tree in their houses in the then Reval. On the last day of celebrations of the Christmas, they took tree to the town and enjoyed the moments by dancing and singing around the tree. A famous historian of that times, Bremen, reported to have added that the trees were full decorated and filled with fruits, nuts, dates and paper flowers for the children. Christmas tree history is also supported by another chronicle Balthasar Russow who wrote about the Christmas tradition of decorated spruce at the town where people were used to dance on the Christmas tradition celebrations. In the houses of upper class Protestants of the time of 15th century, the Christmas tradition was celebrated by decorating Christmas tree against the Christmas cribs of Catholic. With the passage of time, the Christmas tradition took many shapes but the oldest tradition of Christmas tree is still fresh and highly aspired by every protestant in the every part of the world.
Christmas Tree Production:
Christmas tradition in the Christmas tree is the most important has been all the way important occasion for the whole world as it is neat to the celebrations of the New Year. Christmas tree history is of vital importance and the importance of the Christmas tree can be estimated from the fact that the annual production of this tree is 33 to 36 million in American alone. There were about 15000 growers in America who grows these trees and according to an estimate Americans spend on average $ 1.5 billion on the Christmas trees on the eve of Christmas tradition.