December 7, 2024 • 8 mins
Ever wondered why we bring trees into our homes to celebrate Christmas? Join us as we trace the Christmas tree's journey across continents and learn about the quirky ways decorations have evolved—from homemade ornaments to the dazzling electric lights of today.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
I Wonder Podcast Host (00:03):
Hey there , curious minds.
Welcome to another episode of"I Wonder, the show where we
explore the questions you'vebeen wondering about.
Today's question comes fromMisha, who asked why do we have
Christmas trees at Christmas?
What a fun question, Misha.
If you've ever stood in frontof a beautifully decorated tree,
(00:24):
sparkling with lights andornaments, you might have
wondered why a tree?
Where did this tradition comefrom and how did it become such
a thing and part of Christmascelebrations?
Let's dig into the history ofChristmas trees and discover
their roots.
(00:52):
Long before Christmas wascelebrated, people were already
using greenery to mark thewinter season.
In many ancient cultures,plants that stayed green during
the coldest months symbolizedlife and resilience.
The ancient Egyptians, forexample, decorated their homes
with green palm fronds tocelebrate the winter solstice
(01:15):
and to honor their sun, god Ra.
To them, greenery symbolizedthat life would return after the
darkest days of winter.
Symbolized that life wouldreturn after the darkest days of
winter.
In Europe, the Celts and otherpagan groups brought evergreen
boughs into their homes duringmidwinter festivals like Yule.
(01:36):
They believed that these plantshad magical properties to
protect their homes from evilspirits and bad luck.
These early traditions weren'tabout Christmas, but about
finding hope and connection tonature during the cold, dark
winter.
(01:59):
The idea of using entire treesas decorations seems to have
originated in Germany.
Almost a thousand years ago,germans were bringing small
trees into their homes tocelebrate Christmas.
These early Christmas trees, orparadise trees, were often
decorated with apples torepresent the Garden of Eden and
(02:21):
hung with wafers or sweets tosymbolize the Eucharist.
These trees were part of playsand religious traditions that
were performed aroundChristmastime.
Later, Germans began decoratingtheir trees with candles, nuts
and gingerbread.
In the 1500s, people startedadding candles to a tree to
(02:43):
recreate the twinkling ofstarlight on snowy nights.
The Christmas tree didn't stayonly a German tradition for long
.
By the 1800s it began spreadingto other parts of Europe.
One major event was in the1840s when Queen Victoria of
England and her husband PrinceAlbert, who was German,
(03:05):
published an illustration oftheir family gathered around a
decorated tree in a Britishmagazine.
This quickly inspired familiesacross England to adopt the
tradition.
In the United States, Germanimmigrants brought the custom of
Christmas trees with them.
By the mid-19th century,Christmas trees were becoming
(03:26):
common in American homes, oftendecorated with popcorn strings,
handmade ornaments and candles.
Over time the tradition grewand by the early 20th century,
electric lights made decoratingtrees safer and more dazzling
than ever.
(03:50):
While the Christmas tree isclosely tied to European and
American traditions, the act ofdecorating trees is something
humans have been doing forcenturies.
In ancient China, people hungornaments on trees during
festivals to honor their gods.
In Rome, trees and greenerywere adorned with symbols of
Saturn, the god of agriculture,during Saturnalia.
These early decorations wereless about celebration and more
(04:13):
about connecting with the divine.
As the tradition of decoratingChristmas trees evolved, the
idea of decorating became morepersonal and festive.
By the 19th century, familieswere using everything from fruit
and nuts to candles andhandmade trinkets to adorn their
trees.
Today, ornaments often carrymemories and meaning, turning
(04:37):
each Christmas tree into areflection of the family that
decorates it.
But why the evergreen?
You might be wondering whyevergreen trees became the go-to
choice for Christmas.
Unlike most plants, evergreens,like firs, pines and spruces,
true to their namesake, staygreen all year round.
(04:58):
In colder climates.
They were some of the onlyplants available in winter,
making them a practical choice.
But beyond practicality, theirability to stay vibrant during
the harshest months made themsymbols of hope, renewal and
everlasting life.
This symbolism resonated withmany of the ancient and
(05:20):
religious themes of Christmas.
Today's Christmas trees are amix of ancient traditions and
modern creativity.
Real trees still bring thescent and feel of nature into
homes, but artificial trees havebecome popular for their
convenience and reusability.
Decorations have also changedover time.
(05:43):
Electric lights, shiny tinseland themed ornaments have
replaced the simple candles andfruits of the past.
Some families decorate theirtrees to reflect milestones,
like a baby's first Christmas,while others use heirloom
ornaments passed down throughgenerations.
Public displays like thetowering Christmas tree at
(06:06):
Rockefeller Center in New YorkCity have become symbols of
community celebration and joy.
Did you know that the firstartificial Christmas trees were
made of goose feathers and dyedgreen?
Or that President FranklinPierce put up the first
(06:27):
Christmas tree in the WhiteHouse in the 1850s.
Here's another cool fact.
In Canada, Nova Scotia is knownfor exporting millions of
Christmas trees every year,earning it the nickname the
Christmas Tree Capital of theWorld.
And here's another fun fact.
(06:49):
The world's tallest Christmastree was over 67 meters tall.
That's about as tall as a20-story building and it was
displayed in Washington State inthe 1950s.
Christmas trees are more thanjust decorations.
(07:11):
They're symbols of togetherness, celebration and hope.
When families gather todecorate a tree, they're not
just creating somethingbeautiful, they're building
memories and connecting withcenturies of history.
The act of decorating, whetherit's with popcorn, strings or
glittering ornaments, turns asimple tree into a magical
(07:33):
centerpiece for the season.
So, to answer Misha's question,we have Christmas trees at
Christmas because they're partof a tradition that stretches
back thousands of years, fromancient Egyptians and Romans to
medieval Germans and VictorianEngland.
Trees and greenery have beensymbols of life, hope and
(07:55):
renewal during the winter season.
Over time, the Christmas treehas evolved into a beloved part
of holiday celebrations aroundthe world, bringing joy, light
and a sense of wonder tomillions of homes.
(08:16):
.
Thanks again to Misha for sucha festive question.
And remember, if you have aquestion you are curious about,
submit it on our website,iwonderpodcastcom, and we might
just feature it in our nextepisode of I Wonder.
Until next time, stay curiousand keep
(08:36):
wondering.
Hey there , curious minds.
Welcome to another episode of"I Wonder, the show where we
explore the questions you'vebeen wondering about.
Today's question comes fromMisha, who asked why do we have
Christmas trees at Christmas?
What a fun question, Misha.
If you've ever stood in frontof a beautifully decorated tree,
(00:24):
sparkling with lights andornaments, you might have
wondered why a tree?
Where did this tradition comefrom and how did it become such
a thing and part of Christmascelebrations?
Let's dig into the history ofChristmas trees and discover
their roots.
(00:52):
Long before Christmas wascelebrated, people were already
using greenery to mark thewinter season.
In many ancient cultures,plants that stayed green during
the coldest months symbolizedlife and resilience.
The ancient Egyptians, forexample, decorated their homes
with green palm fronds tocelebrate the winter solstice
(01:15):
and to honor their sun, god Ra.
To them, greenery symbolizedthat life would return after the
darkest days of winter.
Symbolized that life wouldreturn after the darkest days of
winter.
In Europe, the Celts and otherpagan groups brought evergreen
boughs into their homes duringmidwinter festivals like Yule.
(01:36):
They believed that these plantshad magical properties to
protect their homes from evilspirits and bad luck.
These early traditions weren'tabout Christmas, but about
finding hope and connection tonature during the cold, dark
winter.
(01:59):
The idea of using entire treesas decorations seems to have
originated in Germany.
Almost a thousand years ago,germans were bringing small
trees into their homes tocelebrate Christmas.
These early Christmas trees, orparadise trees, were often
decorated with apples torepresent the Garden of Eden and
(02:21):
hung with wafers or sweets tosymbolize the Eucharist.
These trees were part of playsand religious traditions that
were performed aroundChristmastime.
Later, Germans began decoratingtheir trees with candles, nuts
and gingerbread.
In the 1500s, people startedadding candles to a tree to
(02:43):
recreate the twinkling ofstarlight on snowy nights.
The Christmas tree didn't stayonly a German tradition for long
.
By the 1800s it began spreadingto other parts of Europe.
One major event was in the1840s when Queen Victoria of
England and her husband PrinceAlbert, who was German,
(03:05):
published an illustration oftheir family gathered around a
decorated tree in a Britishmagazine.
This quickly inspired familiesacross England to adopt the
tradition.
In the United States, Germanimmigrants brought the custom of
Christmas trees with them.
By the mid-19th century,Christmas trees were becoming
(03:26):
common in American homes, oftendecorated with popcorn strings,
handmade ornaments and candles.
Over time the tradition grewand by the early 20th century,
electric lights made decoratingtrees safer and more dazzling
than ever.
(03:50):
While the Christmas tree isclosely tied to European and
American traditions, the act ofdecorating trees is something
humans have been doing forcenturies.
In ancient China, people hungornaments on trees during
festivals to honor their gods.
In Rome, trees and greenerywere adorned with symbols of
Saturn, the god of agriculture,during Saturnalia.
These early decorations wereless about celebration and more
(04:13):
about connecting with the divine.
As the tradition of decoratingChristmas trees evolved, the
idea of decorating became morepersonal and festive.
By the 19th century, familieswere using everything from fruit
and nuts to candles andhandmade trinkets to adorn their
trees.
Today, ornaments often carrymemories and meaning, turning
(04:37):
each Christmas tree into areflection of the family that
decorates it.
But why the evergreen?
You might be wondering whyevergreen trees became the go-to
choice for Christmas.
Unlike most plants, evergreens,like firs, pines and spruces,
true to their namesake, staygreen all year round.
(04:58):
In colder climates.
They were some of the onlyplants available in winter,
making them a practical choice.
But beyond practicality, theirability to stay vibrant during
the harshest months made themsymbols of hope, renewal and
everlasting life.
This symbolism resonated withmany of the ancient and
(05:20):
religious themes of Christmas.
Today's Christmas trees are amix of ancient traditions and
modern creativity.
Real trees still bring thescent and feel of nature into
homes, but artificial trees havebecome popular for their
convenience and reusability.
Decorations have also changedover time.
(05:43):
Electric lights, shiny tinseland themed ornaments have
replaced the simple candles andfruits of the past.
Some families decorate theirtrees to reflect milestones,
like a baby's first Christmas,while others use heirloom
ornaments passed down throughgenerations.
Public displays like thetowering Christmas tree at
(06:06):
Rockefeller Center in New YorkCity have become symbols of
community celebration and joy.
Did you know that the firstartificial Christmas trees were
made of goose feathers and dyedgreen?
Or that President FranklinPierce put up the first
(06:27):
Christmas tree in the WhiteHouse in the 1850s.
Here's another cool fact.
In Canada, Nova Scotia is knownfor exporting millions of
Christmas trees every year,earning it the nickname the
Christmas Tree Capital of theWorld.
And here's another fun fact.
(06:49):
The world's tallest Christmastree was over 67 meters tall.
That's about as tall as a20-story building and it was
displayed in Washington State inthe 1950s.
Christmas trees are more thanjust decorations.
(07:11):
They're symbols of togetherness, celebration and hope.
When families gather todecorate a tree, they're not
just creating somethingbeautiful, they're building
memories and connecting withcenturies of history.
The act of decorating, whetherit's with popcorn, strings or
glittering ornaments, turns asimple tree into a magical
(07:33):
centerpiece for the season.
So, to answer Misha's question,we have Christmas trees at
Christmas because they're partof a tradition that stretches
back thousands of years, fromancient Egyptians and Romans to
medieval Germans and VictorianEngland.
Trees and greenery have beensymbols of life, hope and
(07:55):
renewal during the winter season.
Over time, the Christmas treehas evolved into a beloved part
of holiday celebrations aroundthe world, bringing joy, light
and a sense of wonder tomillions of homes.
(08:16):
.
Thanks again to Misha for sucha festive question.
And remember, if you have aquestion you are curious about,
submit it on our website,iwonderpodcastcom, and we might
just feature it in our nextepisode of I Wonder.
Until next time, stay curiousand keep
(08:36):
wondering.
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