History of the Christmas Tree
In the early 1500s people began to decorate the trees they displayed during the Christmas season. The first decorated Christmas trees appear to have been in Riga, Latvia in 1510. Although these trees where adorned, they still did not contain decorative lighting of any kind. Martin Luther is credited with starting the lighted Christmas tree trend in the early 16th century. The bright twinkling of the stars in the night sky as seen through evergreens inspired him one evening while walking home. To simulate the effect for his family, he rigged a tiny tree in his house with lighted candles wired to the branches. His novel idea of setting the tree upright decorated with lights for Christmas caught on and is said to be the beginning of what is today the most familiar method of Christmas tree display – upright and with lights.
German immigrants to American brought their tradition of the Christmas tree, although it was not received warmly by all in the new country. The first record of a Christmas tree on display in America was in the 1830’s in Pennsylvania. German settlers to Pennsylvania had community trees as well as Christmas trees in their homes. But many Americans, who were of a more Puritan nature, viewed the Christmas tree as a pagan symbol, as they did many of the aspects of the Christmas celebration transplanted from Europe. Christmas to the Puritans was a sacred event that was meant to be observed in a more sober fashion than the festive mood created by such things as decorated trees.
The aversion in America to any joyful holiday expression lasted until the late 1800’s when an influx of more celebratory inclined German and Irish immigrants over-road the party pooper Puritans. The tide began to turn in the mid 19th century when illustrations were published in London News of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (a German) standing around a Christmas tree with their children. Being a very popular royal, she made the Christmas tree fashionable and a wanted commodity by the elite and trendy conscious in Britain as well as in America. Not to be out-vogued by the royals, US President Franklin Pierce set up the first Christmas tree in the White house during the 1850’s.
