History of the Christmas Tree

Sixteenth-century German Protestants were eager to remove the symbolism of the Roman Catholic Church by replacing Nativity scenes with the Christmas tree.  The religious reformer Martin Luther supposedly adopted the practice and added candles to create light during the winter solstice time, which is known for being the shortest days of the year and therefore the darkest days of the year. 

German immigration brought the practice of trees to the New World and therefore started the tradition in the American colonies.  The first record of a Christmas tree being displayed in an American home was in the 1830’s. Outdoor, community Christmas trees are recorded in use in Pennsylvania by the mid-18^th century. But it wasn’t until 1846, when German Prince Albert and his wife the English Queen Victoria of England publicly embraced the Christmas tree. Their popularity led to the tradition becoming established in England and the United States.

In 1870, the United States President Ulysses S. Grant signed legislation that made December 25th a federal holiday.  The official bill language left out the term “Christmas” so that the American people would not feel as though Christianity was being forced upon the people. 

The first Christmas tree was erected on the White House’s South Lawn in 1923.  It wasn’t until the Great Depression that large Christmas trees were being erected at famous sites such as New York’s Rockefeller Center.