O Christmas Tree

I have some fond memories are of putting up and decorating our Christmas tree.  I still recall, even over 35 years after her death, my mom being the one to put up the last ornament on the tree.  It was her favorite ornament--a peach.  I also recall some overly large blue spruce trees.  One was over eight feet high in a room with a ceiling just over seven feet.  That tree made innumberable pricks in my hands from putting on the lights.  Some memories are not so fond; we all have our own struggles over Christmas tree lights.  The Christmas tree is one recognized symbol of the Christmas season, and it is becoming one of the more controversial symbols as well. Its origns, however, predate the rise of Christianity.   Some have taken to calling them Holiday trees. Two years ago I wrote a post about Christmas cookies, and today turn attention to Christmas Trees.

Hovel Family Christmas Tree, about 1960
 A true traditional Hovel tree, as wide as it is tall

While the controversy over what is more "green" a real tree or an artificial (fake) tree still goes on, the new controversy is whether or not such trees should continued to be allowed in the public square.  An alderperson in a New Jersey community resigned after that community's Christmas tree lighting ceremony.  The mayor of the community noted that what ever one calls it, it is still a Christmas tree.  Our increasing secular culture desires to remove aspects or symbols with religious undertones, even resorting to euphemism.  Yet, a tree continues to be installed in Capitol buildings, in city halls and other public buildings.  There is even one on the lawn of the White House.  Is a Christmas tree a recognition of a religion?  Many different persons will have a different interpretation of that aspect.  As the nation becomes less and less religious will we find this symbol of Christmas fading away?Or, will remain and be repurposed.  Some non-Christians put of a tree at this tiime of year.  Some nones have made a sitcom-created idea part of their holiday celebration.  Christmas is big money in the nation, but it represents a gathering of family and friends for those who practice Christianity, for those who are agnostic, or those who are among the inceasing "Nones."  December 25, is becoming less about the day in which the birth of Christ is celebrated and more about celebration.  What is being celebrated?  That is left to the individual.

Hovel family tree, about 1983

The continuing controversy over Christmas, and its symbols, including the Christmas tree is part of an overall cultural revolution.  Christmas is celebrated on December 25, not because it is known as the actual day of the birth of Christ, but because the Roman Emporer Constantine celebrated it in about 336 AD.  This point in the year was also the Roman festival of Saturnalia.  A few years later Pope Julius I proclaimed that date as the celebratory date of Christ's birth.  This time of the year was chosen to coincide, not unlike All Saints day, with a pagan festival celebrations.  At about this same time of year, Dec 21 or 22, the winter solstice occurs and this feast was celebrated by pagan and druids as recognizing the death of the sun and their prayer for the sun to return.  The celestrial body we know as the sun, that medium sized star, plays an important role in our life on earth, and hence it was an important aspect of pagan celebrations.  One can think of the Eygptian sun god, Ra.  It is possible that Constantine and Julius had their own reasons for setting the date.  After all, Jesus was refugee of Jewish heritage born in Bethlehem, and December is the month of the Jewish Hanukkah celebration.

Our tree for 2015, after being set in the stand

Christians took to celebrating their religious holidays in relation to pagan feast days.  Christmas was no different.  In the same manner the Christmas tree has its roots in pre-Christian times.  Evergreen branches were brought into German homes during the solstice and were decorated with apples.  Winter in the latitude of Germany, and points north, means very short days, and one has to think that evergreen branches gave some semblance of life and hope for the future.  The Germans continued this custom as they embraced Christianity.  It became only a short leap for them to start bringing in a tree to further define and enhance this custom.  However, one report has the first Christmas Tree having been put up in Riga, Latvia 505 years ago.  Whereever the first tree appeared today we still recognize it more as an import from Germany.  Christmas trees took on a more widespread custom thanks to the Queen of England who had her husband, who was of German heritage, decorate a tree for their children to recognize the custom of his homeland.  Just as we have Anglophiles in this nation who follow Kate, followed Diana, and their children, so too this act spurred a whole industry of Christmas trees.  Well to do would try to out do the other with their decoration on the Christmas trees.  At first candles were used, and than an associate of Thomas Edison would devleop the first lights for the Christmas tree in 1882.  It did not take long for well decorated glass ornaments to make their way from Germany to other countries.

A Christmas Swag I handcraft every year with all natural materials
Branches cut from the tree, dried home-grown flowers and pine cones

A new industry has spawned, and it was more than just electic lights.  Christmas tree farms started to be established at the end of the 19th century.  It would only take a few decades for the first fake tree to come about.  I have a certain disdain for fake trees and my hope is that I can continue to put up a real tree for many years to come.  I have often referred to fake trees as oversized toilet brushes.  Much to my amazement, in doing reserach for this post, I found that the first fake Christmas tree was made by the Addis Brush Company, a company known for their toilet brushes.  So, yes, fake trees evolved from an oversized green colored toilet brush.  In some locations real trees are discouraged by insurance companies as fire risk.  Just as they limit wall, door and ceiling decorations in schools, so to fake trees.  After many years of having placed a real tree in its Great Hall, one university this year succumb to continued constant pressure from its insurance provider to use a fake tree.  To get to the size of the real tree, it has to be one massive toilet brush.

2015 Decorated Christmas Tree

One Christmas tree association, affiliated I am almost sure with the fake tree side, say their studies show that 79% of households in the US will put up a Christmas tree, and of that number 80% will be fake trees.  At work this week I did my own, nonscientific poll.  Survey says...of the 51 persons asked if they put up a tree in their home will it be real or fake, 25 said real, 22 said fake and 4 will not put up a tree.  Perhaps my place of work tends to be more associated with homeowners, and able bodied workers who have the capability to put up a real tree.  Showing a continued evolution in the industry, of those who put up a real tree, 12 have or will put up a frasier fir, with the next highest being Balsam at three.  Four did not know what type of tree they put up.  One new tree entering popularity is the Canaan, which combines the smell of the balsam and the less needle drop of the frasier.

Upclose Photo of the Tree

The Germanic tradition of Christmas trees endures.  Some call it a Christmas tree, others a holiday tree, and while it seems to have become yet another controversial symbol, it is nontheless part of our common culture. It is a custom handed down from its original pagan roots of evergreen boughs, rebadged with a tree for Christmas.  I know not what the future holds for the Christmas tree.  Yet, through all the years since the first pagans placed boughs in their dwelling one aspect, whether literal or figurative, comes through from the pagan celebrations, Jewish Hanukkah, to Christianity--light.  the early pagans saw the sun as having died and celebrated its new birth.  Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights.  In a similar way we Christians celebrate the birth of the savior during the dark days of winter in the northern hemisphere.  He turns darkness to light.  The candles we light,the lights we put up to decorate our home and tree all are to show that light can overcome darkness. Symbols are important to our cultural celebrations, and in the formation of our memories. The Christmas tree is a symbol of light over darkness, and a symbol of hope.  Traditions, symbols and the memories formed, become part of our culture.  These traditions remind us of our past and help form our future. In any event, without a Christmas tree where would Santa put the toys for good little girls and boys?

Images from author, and family archives