A short history of the Christmas tree

The decorated Christmas tree grew out of ancient winter customs, took shape in early modern Germany, and became a worldwide tradition in the 19th century.

A tabletop evergreen decorated with lit candles, in 19th-century style — Early Christmas trees were often small, set on tables, and lit with real candles.

Timeline

Ancient times: Many cultures, including Egyptians, Romans and northern Europeans, decorated with evergreen boughs in midwinter as symbols of life that endures through winter.
Middle Ages: “Paradise trees” hung with apples were used in German religious plays about Adam and Eve, performed on December 24.
1500s–1600s: Decorated trees appear in German-speaking lands and the Baltic region. A 1605 record from Strasbourg describes fir trees indoors decorated with paper roses, apples, wafers and sweets.
1700s–early 1800s: Candles are added to trees, and the custom spreads among German nobility and towns.
1848: The Illustrated London News publishes an image of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert (who was German-born) and their children around a decorated tree, making the custom fashionable in Britain and, soon after, America.
1850s: German immigrants and magazine illustrations spread the tree tradition across the United States. Christmas tree lots begin appearing in cities.
1882: Edward H. Johnson, an associate of Thomas Edison, displays the first known electrically lit Christmas tree in New York, with 80 red, white and blue bulbs.
1923: President Calvin Coolidge lights the first National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C.
1930s: Construction workers put up a tree at the Rockefeller Center site in 1931; the official lighting tradition begins in 1933. Brush-style artificial trees also go on sale.
1950s–60s: Aluminum and other artificial trees become a fad; commercial Christmas tree farming grows rapidly.
Today: Hundreds of millions of trees grow on farms worldwide, and decorated trees are part of Christmas celebrations on every continent.

Legends and uncertain claims

A popular story says Protestant reformer Martin Luther was inspired to put candles on a tree after seeing stars shining through evergreens. It is a charming legend, but there is no contemporary evidence for it. Tallinn (Estonia) and Riga (Latvia) both claim early public trees from the 1400s–1500s; historians debate how closely those resemble the modern Christmas tree.

Why evergreens?

Evergreen conifers keep their green needles through winter, when most plants look dead. That made them natural symbols of life, hope and renewal during the darkest time of year — meanings that carried into the Christmas tradition.