How Christmas Tree Came About?
Evergreens were chosen to decorate homes during winter well before Christmas became a holiday.
They were also considered to keep witches, ghosts, evil spirits and illnesses from homes where they were displayed.
Germany is credited using the traditional Christmas Tree celebration of decorating trees and bringing them into their homes.
It is considered that Martin Luther, the 16th century Protestant reformer was the first to add lighted candles towards the tree.
He intended to recapture the sparkling stars with a dark night and the way the stars illuminated his walk home, so he brought a tree into his home and placed it in the heart of the room.
He then wired the tree branches with lighted candles.
By 1890, Christmas ornaments were arriving in America from Germany before Christmas tree shot to popularity in the U.S.
In the early 20th century most Americans were using homemade ornaments on their trees.
While Europeans liked their trees to be small, Americans liked their trees to achieve from floor to ceiling.
Popular homemade ornaments included popcorn strings decorated as dyed bright colors and laced with berries and nuts.
Electricity changed the tree to incorporate electric lights and trees started to glow in the city squares along with homes throughout America, making the Christmas Tree, a American tradition.
Many cities claim to be the first city to possess a Christmas tree in America including: Windsor Locks – a a town in Connecticut.
They claim a Hessian soldier placed a Christmas tree in 1777 as he was imprisoned in the Noden-Reed House, making it the very first Christmas tree in New England.
Easton, Pennsylvania also claims that German settlers placed a Christmas tree in 1816.
There is a diary entry created by Matthew Zahm, of Lancaster Pennsylvania, which says a Christmas tree was set up in 1832.
A German immigrant residing in Boston, Charles Follen, claimed the custom itself of decorating the Christmas tree.
Another German immigrant from Wooster, Ohio is considered to have latched onto the practice of decorating the Christmas tree.
He cut down on spruce trees from the wooded area by his town and placed the tree in his house, decorating it with paper ornaments and candy canes.
He was recognized by the National Confectioners’ Association as being the first to put candy canes on Christmas tree. They were all white without any red stripes.
Having said that, the Christmas tree today is certainly a vital component of Christmas celebration items for it symbolizes life and significance.