Some scholars trace the origin of Christmas trees to much earlier periods. Even before the Christian era, trees and boughs were widely used for religious ceremonials. Ancient Egyptians, in celebrating the winter solstice-shortest day of the year-brought green date palms into their homes. They were symbols of "life triumphant over death," just as the sun starts its annual "triumph over darkness" or "rebirth" at this time.
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| Ancient temple of saturn, columns stand in the midst of rubble in the forum Rumanum, Rome. |
When the Romans observed the feast of saturn, also at the winter solstice to celebrate the return or "rebirth" of the sun, part of the ceremony was the raising of an evergreen bough. This feast, and the New Year which followed a few days after, featured eating, drinking, merry-making, expressions of goodwill, exchange of gifts, and decorating houses with greenery and lights. Church leaders in Rome replaced the feast of saturn by Christmas on December 25 in A.D. 354 after Christianity became the accepted religion in the Roman Empire. (The name saturn survives in our Saturday.)
The early Scandinavians or Norsemen are said to have offered homage to the fir tree. When they became Christians, Christians, they made evergreen trees part of their Christian festivals. The burning of fir boughs and the Yule log in late fall were old folk customs in western Europe.
To the Druids or Celts of ancient Gaul (today's France) and Britain, sprigs of evergreens (particularly mistletoe and holly) in the house meant eternal life, while to the Norsemen such sprigs symbolized the revival of the sun god, balder. The superstitious of these lands long believed that branches of evergreens placed over the door of their homes would keep out witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and the like.
So we see that our Christmas tree custom has evolved from pre-Christian as well as Christian traditions, like the present-day use of greenery in various religious rituals. In America the decorated Christmas tree has become such an accepted tradition that Christmas would seem barren to most people without it.
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