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Tuesday is Christmas Day, the celebration of the birth
of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God.
To celebrate the birth of Jesus,
people all around the world decorate Christmas trees.
But do you know who made the first Christmas tree? And how did the
Christmas tree become such a central part of the Christmas tradition?
In ancient times, evergreen boughs were hung over doors
and windows to keep evil spirits away. Evergreen
branches were also used as
a symbol of everlasting life. Plants
and trees that remain green all year have
always had a special meaning in winter. But the
Christmas tree didn't appear until the 16th Century.
It is said that the Protestant reformer Martin Luther created
the first Christmas tree. One winter evening, he was walking through
a spruce forest on his way
home. The stars were twinkling so brightly amidst the evergreen branches,
and the scene was very beautiful. When he arrived home, he tried to
describe the magical scene
to his family.
But he couldn't describe it with words. So Luther ran out to the forest
and rushed back with a tree!
He actually brought it into
the house. And then he decorated it with candles in an effort to show everyone
the beautiful scene he had seen.
 The
German settlers brought this lovely
tradition with them to America. But it didn't catch on right away. Many Americans
thought decorated trees were disrespectful of the holy
nature of Christmas. But as more and more immigrants from Germany and
Ireland continued to bring the tradition with them, the practice of
decorating Christmas trees began to spread.
Then in 1834, Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, brought
the first Christmas tree to Windsor Castle for the English Royal Family.
British high society was very impressed with the beautiful tree. Also,
the fashion-conscious society of the American East Coast liked the
decorated tree. Soon, the Christmas tree had become fashionable. By
1850, we could see decorated trees all over the eastern states.
By the 1890s, Christmas trees were being seen in homes all around
the U.S. So while the Christmas holiday may be a 1,700-year-old celebration,
Christmas trees have only been a tradition in America for about 150
years!
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