The millennial tradition of the Christmas tree finds its origin in northern Europe, especially among the Celts. Associated with the winter equinox, it was a symbol of life and rebirth from the sun. Every December 24, we got into the habit of decorating it with fruits and ears of wheat. In the 4th century, the Christian Church fixed the celebration of the birth of Jesus on the same day to compete with this pagan festival. The tradition will continue nevertheless and even today, Christmas would not be Christmas without its traditional Christmas tree, for the joy of young and old alike.
The Christmas tree, a 4000-year-old origin
4,000 years ago, we were already talking about our traditional Christmas tree:the Celts associated a tree with each month of the year and the fir tree was the one associated with the month of December. A little later, in the 11th century, men garnished it with red apples to symbolize paradise. It was in the 12th century that the festive tree appeared in Europe and particularly in Alsace. In 1521, for the first time and in this region, a name was given to this tree:“the Christmas tree”. To celebrate this feast, it was garnished with apples, confectionery, small cakes, taking care not to forget to place the star symbolizing Bethlehem at the top.
Christmas tree lights up in the 18th century
In the 18th century, people began to illuminate it by filling eggshells with oil in which lighted wicks float. Marie Lecszinska, wife of Louis XV, had it installed for the first time at the Palace of Versailles, when it was already very common in Alsace and Lorraine. In 1837, the Duchess of Orléans (of German origin) had a fir tree decorated at the Tuileries. After the war of 1870, the installation of the tree for Christmas time became a tradition "imported" by men from the East of France.
And nowadays, municipalities and big cities compete by installing the biggest and most beautiful Christmas tree, in the center of the biggest place like Strasbourg for example. The United States has also adopted this custom such as New York. It is for those who try to keep their tree as long as possible. Generally, the lifespan of a cut tree is 40 days. But Canadian researchers are making them last longer…up to 75 days!
In most homes, Father Christmas places toys for good children under the tree...