Christmas Tree History



The Christmas Tree


Most nineteenth century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity.  The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania. They put one on show to raise money for a local church.  In 1851 a tree was set up outside of a church.  The people of the parish thought it such an outrage and a return to paganism and asked the minister to take it down.

By the 1890s Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S.  It was noted that Europeans used small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas to reach from floor to ceiling.

The early twentieth century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with homemade ornaments, while the German- American sect continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies .  Popcorn joined in after being dyed bright colors and interlaced with berries and nuts.

Electricity brought about Christmas lights making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end.

With this, Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across the country.  All important buildings, private and public, signaled the beginning of the Christmas holiday with the tree ceremony.



Christmas Tree Globe


Early Christmas trees had, in place of angels, figures of fairies - the good spirits, though horns and bells were once used to frighten off evil spirits.

In Poland, Christmas trees there were always angels, peacocks and other birds as well as many, many stars.  In Sweden, trees are decorated with brightly painted wooden ornaments and straw figures of animals and children.  In Denmark, tiny Danish flags along with mobiles of bells stars, snowflakes and hearts are hung on Christmas trees.  Japanese Christians prefer tiny fans and paper lanterns.  Lithuanians cover their trees with straw bird cages, stars, and geometric shapes.  The straw sends a wish for good crops in the coming year.  Czechoslovakian  trees display ornaments made from painted egg shells.

A Ukrainian Christmas tree has a spider and web for good luck.  Legend has it that a poor woman with nothing to put on her children's tree woke on Christmas morning to find the branches covered with spider webs turned to silver by the rising sun.




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