Ole Tannenbaum

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Christmas trees go back to the symbolic use of evergreens in ancient Egypt, Rome and Germany.

Plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning and it was even believed that they would ward off witches and evil spirits.

The Ancient Egyptians worshipped a god called Ra, who had the head of a hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disk in his crown. During solstice, Egyptians filled their homes with green palm rushes, which symbolized to thank Ra for triumph of life over death.

Early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon, farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen branches.

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles.