With Christmas almost here, you may notice the wide range of red and green decorations filling up the shelves in your local supermarket, crowds of people rushing through stores in search of the perfect stocking filler and not to forget the blissful setting up of the Christmas tree.

Have you ever stopped for a moment and wondered when and where this jolly Christmas tradition started? How has it managed to imprint itself so finely in the heart and soul of Christmas? There is no doubt that to many it would be unthinkable to celebrate the festive season without the family all coming together to share the experience of decorating the Christmas tree.

It’s suggested that out of all the many traditions celebrated during this time, the Christmas tree has one of the most significant and interesting origins. Primarily, it is believed that the first Christmas tree goes way back to the 16th century in Eastern Germany, where a small group of townspeople decorated evergreens with paper roses, sweet fruits such as apples, tinsel and a big variety of ornaments that continue to be used today such as baubles, candy canes and the symbolic angel or star that is placed on the top of the tree to represent Christianity.

The tradition only became significantly popular around the mid-19th century, when the upper middle-class families began to follow the footsteps of Queen Victoria, who embraced the decorating of an evergreen each Christmas. Since then, the tradition has spread worldwide, with millions of trees being produced each year and most importantly, millions of families worldwide all coming together to share the Christmas spirit.

Article by Georgia Stoch (Year 10 Work Experience Student)

^ All ready for Santa’s visit | Image: www.pexels.com