The Meaning of the Christmas Tree

As soon as the Thanksgiving turkey is finished and leftovers have been used in various different ways, millions of families across the world put up a Christmas tree to celebrate the upcoming season of giving. For many people Christmas is a time of joy, giving, and creating memories with loved ones. Few people know the true meaning of the Christmas tree and why it is in almost every household during the Christmas season.

In Christianity, the Christmas tree is symbolic of the birth of Jesus. The custom of putting up an evergreen tree started in the 17th and into the 18th centuries to represent the true evergreen, Jesus Christ. The evergreen branches are ancient symbols to represent new life in the new year. Families started placing candles within the tree to represent past and present family members, which eventually became the lights and ornaments that are placed on Christmas trees now. Often pastry wafers were hung on the tree to represent the eucharist and is still a tradition done in Germany today. The star atop the tree reminds us of the birth of Jesus and the star followed by Mary and Joseph.

Legends connect the act of gift giving during Christmas to the gifts from the Magi to Jesus. Gifts are also associated with Saint Nicholas who became popular for giving gifts to poor children. Saint Nicholas’ feast day being on December 6th also became another occasion for gift giving. In the Middle Ages gift giving was often paid tributes to Monarchs and sometimes churches. The custom of giving gifts to friends and family didn't arrive until the 16th century in Germany, Netherlands, and Scandinavia. Even then, gift giving was often anonymous or part of a game where the gift was wrapped multiple times with different names on it so the true recipient didn't know until the end. German immigrants brought the tradition of Christmas trees and gift giving to the New World in the early 19th century and was widely accepted when Queen Victoria put up an elaborate Christmas tree in Windsor castle. Powerful images of American families giving gifts around a Christmas tree became very popular to American authors and leaders. This imagery largely helped poet Clement Moore’s poem “Twas the night before Christmas” become very popular.

We often forget the true meaning behind gift giving and the Christmas tree, but must remember they ultimately symbolize Jesus Christ and the birth of our savior.

Works Cited

WOODRUFF TAIT, EDWIN, and JENNIFER WOODRUFF TAIT. Why Do We Have Christmas Trees?, Christianity Today, 11 Dec. 2008, https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/december/why-do-we-have-christmas-trees.html.