Unveiling the magic of Christmas celebrations: 8 facts

The History of Christmas Trees

The evergreen fir tree has traditionally been used to celebrate winter festivals over thousands of years. Christians use it as a symbol of everlasting life and to live in communion with God. No one knows for definite when Fir trees were first used as Christmas trees. It is assumed that the tree became part of the Christmas celebration some 1000 years ago in Northern Europe. The first documented use of a tree at Christmas and New Year celebrations was in the town square of Riga, the capital of Latvia, in 1510. German preacher Martin Luther was the first person to bring a Christmas tree into a house in the 16th century. The story goes that one night before Christmas he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches. It was so beautiful that he went home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus flying out of starry abode down to the earth at Christmas. In Victorian times, the tree would be decorated with candles. They still do it in different parts of Europe where they decorate Christmas trees with candles. The most lights lit at the same time on a Christmas tree is 194,672 and was done by Kiwanis Malmedy Haute Fagnes in Malmedy, Belgium, on 10 December 2010. One of the most famous trees is in Trafalgar Square in London, England. The White House in the USA has had a big tree on the front lawn since the 1920s.