Christmas Trees are always evergreens, because the evergreen tree symbolizes "life". It stays green all winter, and gave past cultures a feeling of hope. In ancient cultures greenery was brought into their homes to remind them during the long winter that life would soon blossom forth. Some evergreens, can even produce flowers and fruit during the Winter, which seemed magical to these people.
The first recorded reference to the Christmas tree dates back to the 16th century. In Strasbourg, Germany (now part of France), families both rich and poor decorated fir trees with colored paper, fruits, and sweets. The retail Christmas tree lot also dates back that far - in those times, older women would sell trees harvested from nearby forests.
The tradition spread through Europe and was brought to the United States by German settlers and by Hessian mercenaries paid to fight in the Revolutionary War. In 1804 U.S. soldiers stationed at Fort Dearborn (now Chicago) hauled trees from surrounding woods to their barracks at Christmas.
The popularity of the Christmas tree then proliferated. Charles Minnegrode introduced the custom of decorating trees in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1842. In 1851, Mark Carr hauled two ox sleds loaded with trees from the Catskills to the streets of New York and opened the first retail lot in the United States. Scattered records from family diaries, journals, and letters indicate that early-day decorations included homemade cookies and "sugars", corn husk dolls, and various food ornaments such as pomander balls (apples or oranges
studded with whole cloves and dusted with cinnamon).
Franklin Pierce, our 14th President, brought the Christmas tree tradition to the White House. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony now held every year on the White House lawn.
While the enduring tree symbol, which is even older than Christianity and not exclusive to any one religion, remains a firmly established part of our holiday customs. Many of the modern decorations have direct roots to the Christian faith, such as the star which led the wise men to the saviors manger and the angles who proclaimed the glorious news of Gods promise being fulfilled among just a few. A beautiful live Christmas tree engages our senses of sight, touch, and smell, and evokes feelings of joy and faith in both young and
old.
