Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes.
But the real origins of Christmas trees appear to be rooted in present-day Germany during the Middle Ages. In 1419, a guild in Freiburg put up a tree decorated with apples, flour-paste wafers, tinsel and gingerbread.
Artificial Christmas trees were developed in Germany during the 19th century and later became popular in the United States. These "trees" were made using goose feathers that were dyed green and attached to wire branches.
Because Christmas is the holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ, as a light in the dark world, the lit tree was a reminder of that light. The Christmas tree also represents the Tree of Life, commonly recognized as the most important tree in the garden of Eden.
Traditional Norway Spruce (Picea Abies)
Norway Spruce is the traditional Christmas tree which has been popular since Victoria times with short and thin, varying bright and deep green pointed needles.
The Christmas tree was first recorded to be used by German Lutherans in the 16th century, with records indicating that a Christmas tree was placed in the Cathedral of Strasbourg in 1539, under the leadership of the Protestant Reformer, Martin Bucer. The Moravian Christians put lighted candles on those trees."
In 1419, a baker's guild in Freiburg Germany, is reported to have displayed a Paradise Tree decorated with apples and wafers, tinsel, and gingerbread. This is possibly the first open display of what has come to be known as the Christmas Tree.
The first time the birth of Jesus Christ was attributed to the date December 25 was in the 4th century, according to early Roman history. Early celebrations of Christmas are thought to have derived from Roman and other European festivals that marked the end of the harvest, and the winter solstice.
The date of birth of Jesus is not stated in the gospels or in any historical sources, but most biblical scholars generally accept a date of birth between 6 BC and 4 BC, the year in which King Herod died.
Even though Christmas trees once carried religious connotations, the Supreme Court found that a Christmas tree, by itself, is not a religious symbol.
Paul Parker (UK) owns an artificial Christmas tree that has been in his family since 1886. It stands 30 cm (1 ft) tall in an ornate pot and was originally bought for his great-great Aunt Lou, possibly from Woolworths. It was bequeathed to Paul by his mother, Janet, in 2008, continuing the tradition.
A German Lutheran pastor named Johann Hinrich Wichern is often given credit for turning the wreath into a symbol of the Advent, and lighting candles of various sizes and colors in a circle as Christmas approached.
The movement started in Italy, Europe, where traditional Christmas is celebrated in winter, leading to the alternative celebration, 6 months later, to be celebrated in summer. While it started out as an improvised summer celebration in Venice, it has now become a yearly tradition.
"Studies show that decorating for the holidays improves mood and ignites positive memories." Not to mention that fact that the actual act of putting Christmas decorations up offers a boost of your happy hormone, dopamine. “Holiday decorating ignites the child in each of us, eliciting positive emotions,” she explains.
“The real reason for the selection of Dec. 25 seems to have been that it is exactly nine months after March 25, the traditional date of Jesus' crucifixion. … As Christians developed the theological idea that Jesus was conceived and crucified on the same date, they set the date of his birth nine months later.”
Considering Jesus' varying chronology, he was 33 to 40 years old at his time of death.
Birth of Jesus
From the age at which Jewish maidens became marriageable, it is possible that Mary gave birth to her son when she was about thirteen or fourteen years of age.
1) Germany. Germany is responsible for the origin of Christmas trees, as devout Christians began the tradition in the Middle Ages. Typically, the tree is brought into the house on Christmas Eve and is secretly decorated by the mother of the family for the young children.
Nicholas: The Real Santa Claus. The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around A.D. 280 in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkey.
The first known use of Christmas, according to Merriam-Webster, was before the 12th century and originates from Middle English's Christemass meaning "Christ's mass." Mass in Old English, according to Dictionary.com, references a church service.
Traditionally, Christmas is a religious holiday to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, and many people still choose to attend Church services at this time of year.
The Origin and History of a Christmas Legend. The story behind Santa goes back to the third century during the time of St. Nicholas, a monk, even though some sources state that he was a bishop. Nicholas was born around 280 A.D. in Patara, in modern-day Turkey.
Australian Christmas tree, (Nuytsia floribunda), also called moodjar, parasitic tree of one of the mistletoe families (Loranthaceae), native to western Australia. The tree may grow to 10 metres (33 feet) or more and produces many yellow-orange flowers during the Christmas season.