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As the glittering holiday centerpieces in many homes and public spaces, Christmas trees symbolize both joyful abundance and winter whimsy. The traditional German carol "O Tannenbaum," or literally, "oh fir tree," hints at the origins of the Christmas tree. Evergreens had long been a symbol of abundance and the hope for good harvest during the winter solstice to many Europeans. It was therefore common to deck the halls with boughs of evergreen to remind them of the sun's return.
Then in the 7th century, the Devonshire monk St. Boniface went to Germany and used the triangular fir tree to symbolize the Holy Trinity. The fir tree soon replaced the oak and evergreen as symbols of bounty, and by the 12th century, it was commonplace to see firs hung upside-down in houses at Christmas. There is some debate over the birth of the decorated Christmas tree. However, legend has it that Martin Luther first introduced the concept in 1510 in Riga, Latvia. According to the story, one crisp Christmas Eve, Luther was entranced by snow-dusted trees shimmering in the moonlight. When he got home, he set up a
little tree for his children. He decorated it with candles, which he lit in honor of Christ's birth. And with that, the Christmas tree was born. Regardless of who first decorated a tree, we do know that it was the Germans who really popularized the practice. In the 16th century, they began adding gingerbreads, wafers, sugar twists, and wax ornaments to their trees, along with fruits and garlands of nuts to spruce up the home. The Paradise Tree was a medieval morality play describing Adam and Eve¿s fall, and it featured a tree decorated with apples and other fruit. Some regions of Germany still refer to a Christmas tree as a Paradeisbaum. By 1610, the Germans had invented the crowning
glory to many a tree ¿- tinsel. The tinsel was comprised of real silver pulled into wafer-thin strips. Today, Christmas trees proudly wear dancing lights, singing ornaments, and flocked boughs. Each tree is as unique as the family who decorates it. But underlying all the modern trappings is the basic tradition invented some 500 years ago.
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