The History of the Christmas Tree

Paganism, Protestantism or even an early Christian symbol? The debate over the origins of the Christmas tree is at least as old as the tree itself.

The origins of the Christmas tree can be traced back to ancient Rome and the Germanic peoples, as evergreen plants such as laurel, holly, fir and yew were symbols of hope: They were believed to ward off evil winter spirits, and people hoped for the imminent return of spring and a fruitful year.

In order to explain biblical stories to people in the 15th century, people began to depict biblical scenes in churches. The ‘Paradise Plays’ featuring Adam and Eve marked the beginning of this tradition, followed by nativity plays.  A fir tree symbolised the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden and was decorated with red apples, which were eventually replaced by red Christmas baubles.

In the 15th century, Martin Luther and other Protestants declared the Christmas tree to be a symbol of their religion. The Catholic Church rejected the custom for a long time, as its symbol was the nativity scene, which originated directly from Bethlehem.

It is a matter of debate where and when the oldest Christmas tree might have stood. A tradition dating from 1419 tells of bakers’ apprentices who, during the Christmas season in Freiburg (Germany) , are said to have decorated a tree with apples, gingerbread and gold tinsel. A Christmas tree in Strasbourg Cathedral around 1539 is documented in invoices. Other written accounts also mention dolls and sweets as Christmas tree decorations, which the children of guild members were allowed to literally ‘shake off’ on New Year’s Eve.

The Catholic Church was unable to halt the spread of the Christmas tree. It was the wife of Archduke Karl of Austria who first brought a Christmas tree to Vienna in 1816. When in 1841 the then Governor of Tyrol, Clemens Count von Brandis, had a tree erected in the Innsbruck Hofburg, the Christmas tree had also conquered Tyrol. Initially confined to middle-class and wealthy urban families, the tree spread to rural areas in the 20th century and is now an integral part of life.

By the way, did you know that the nativity scene tradition is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage? If you’d like to find out more about the deeply rooted tradition of nativity scenes in Tyrol and around Hall, please visit our blog post about the nativity scene tradition.

The craft of straw weaving is indeed very old and particularly widespread in areas where the necessary materials were readily available locally. These are mostly traditional practices that have developed differently from region to region – partly in parallel, partly independently, and partly through the passing on of knowledge.

Straw stars are also frequently associated with nativity scenes. In the collection of the Tyrolean Museum of Folk Life, straw stars appear only as part of nativity scenes.

The origins of straw star-making in Austria are thought to date back to the late 18th century, when Joseph II’s ban on nativity scenes led to them being moved from churches into private homes. This also led to the establishment of the custom of decorating one’s own home for Christmas, including the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree. It is not possible to say with certainty whether straw stars were already found on Christmas trees at that time.

An evocative, though historically unsubstantiated, legend tells of a poor shepherd who had nothing to give to the Baby Jesus. So he made a star out of straw. And so the Christian symbolism ties in with Christmas once again, as the straw star is reminiscent of the Star of Bethlehem and the straw of the manger in which the Baby Jesus lay.

Information from the Tyrolean Museum of Folk Life

Today, around 2.5 million trees adorn the living rooms of Austrians during the Christmas season. Whilst, at the very beginning of this newly emerging Christmas tradition, forests close to towns were being radically cleared, the authorities were soon forced to introduce measures to protect the woodland. Consequently, in 1875, the sale of Christmas trees was banned. A licence was required to operate a market stall. This is evidenced, amongst other things, by a section in the *Haller Lokalanzeiger* dated 13 December 1919 (visible in the image in the bottom row of the first column), which reports on a regulation issued by the district administration concerning the trade in Christmas trees in Hall.

Today, Christmas trees are grown on an area of approximately 45 hectares in Tyrol. In 1994, Tyrolean Christmas tree growers formed an association. And that’s a good thing, because, fortunately, demand for regional trees is growing all the time.

During its eight- to ten-year production cycle, one hectare of Christmas tree plantation sequesters around 140 tonnes of carbon dioxide and produces around 100 tonnes of oxygen. A compelling argument against cheap imports from abroad or a plastic tree that has travelled many kilometres by air.

Meanwhile, potted Christmas trees available for hire have become established; these can be collected or returned after Christmas.