To the New England Puritans, Christmas was sacred. They condemned many customs associated with Christmas, such as the Yule log, holly, mistletoe, Christmas carols and Christmas trees, as "heathen traditions." The Puritans believed that any joyful expression desecrated the sacred event of the birth of Christ.
William Bradford, the pilgrim's second governor, tried to stamp out what he called the "Pagan mockery" of Christmas. In 1659, a law was enacted that made any observances of December 25, other than attending church services, illegal. Christmas "frivolity" was penalized and anyone, Puritan or not, caught hanging decorations or otherwise celebrating Christmas was fined 15 cents.
This joyless Christmas tradition of solemnity continued into the 19th century. Until 1870, Boston schools remained open on Christmas Day and students who stayed home could be expelled. As recently as 1851, Pastor Henry Schwan of Cleveland, Ohio nearly lost his job when he decorated a Christmas tree in his church and his parishioners condemned it as a "pagan practice."
The Modern American Christmas Tree
Christmas trees were first introduced in England by King George III's German Queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and by German merchants who lived in England. A few British families had Christmas trees but they were likely influenced by their German neighbors rather than the Royal Court. At the time, the German Monarchy was unpopular with the British public, so the Royal Court did not copy the Christmas tree, which is why they did not become widely fashionable in Britain.
In 1846, The Illustrated London News carried a sketch of Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert standing with their children around a Christmas tree. Unlike the previous Royal family, Queen Victoria was very popular with her subjects and whatever the trendsetting Royals did at Court quickly became stylish in Britain as well as in the fashion-conscious cliques of Eastern American society.
By the 1890s, the popularity of Christmas trees was on the rise around America. Whereas the Europeans used small trees, the Americans preferred their Christmas trees tall enough to reach the ceiling. Most decorations were homemade. Young women spent hours quilling stars and snowflakes and sewing little pouches to hold secret gifts and treats, such as sugared almonds. They strung garlands with brightly dyed popcorn, interspersed with with nuts and berries. Wooden hoops were used to hold candles until the advent of electricity, which made it possible for Christmas trees to be lit continuously — and far more safely.
Silver tinsel, which tarnished easily, was invented in 1878. By the 1920s, however, it was made from lead because lead was cheaper and did not tarnish. Due to the danger of lead poisoning to children, lead tinsel was banned in the 1960s. Today's tinsel is made exclusively from plastic.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
fascinating! great report as always Margaret - love the background of tradtions and customs!
2 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Thank you, Eric. It's always nice to get a pat on the back from the man in charge.
3 - GoHah
I never would've thought artificial trees went back that far. Enjoyable history lesson--thanks
4 - Greg Schoppe
wait, what you just wrote boils down to: lighted, decorated trees were created by either Martin Luthor, or St Bonaface. How does that make it not a Christian tradition? The use of evergreen boughs as decoration is not the same, and is derived from a totally seperate tradition.
5 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Well, of course decorated evergreens are a Christian tradition! They just aren't exclusively so, having evolved from numerous ancient customs and beliefs.
Indeed, the legends of Martin Luther and St. Boniface tell part of the story of how decorated evergreens might have become Christmas trees in world culture.
It is interesting that both of those stories originated in Germany, where evergreens were decorated and worshiped by the ancient cultures of that land long before the advent of Christianity.
Let us not forget that Christmas trees really didn't catch on with Christians in America until the 1890s.
Several centuries passed before the notions of our rather joyless Puritan forefathers, who condemned Christmas trees as a "heathen tradition," would fade from our culture. Remarkably, there are a few Christian sects that still subscribe to this belief in the 21st century.
Did you know that there is not one mention of a Christmas tree anywhere in the Bible? Perhaps this is the reason why the Puritans did not care too much for Christmas trees and why a few modern Christians still do not use Christmas trees in their celebrations of the Birth of Christ.
So let's not get all vainglorious and play that silly "War on Christmas" game (besides, it's really nothing more than another holiday fund raising ploy). There's no good reason to make assertions of Christian exclusivity with regard to decorated evergreens.
In fact, the very lack of exclusivity makes decorated evergreens multicultural and therefore suitable and appropriate for governments to display as Holiday Trees that include everyone and marginalize no one.