History of the Christmas Tree

         Using a Christmas tree as part of winter celebrations can be traced back to the time of the pagans. They used the tress as part of their celebrations of the Winter Solstice -- 21st December, when the Sun ascended for the first time in the winter sky. The tree stood for replenishment in the winter cold. As a symbol of this, the tree was decorated with candles, apples and other fruits. The people would then chop down the Yule log at the beginning of the New Year as remembrance of the past year.

         Inclusion of the fir tree as part of Christmas celebrations was initiated by St Boniface in Geismar, a German town. Its use was further established by Martin Luther, who idealized it as the Tree of Life, and it was to be similar to the Catholic Nativity scene.

         However, widespread usage of the tree as part of Christmas celebrations began in the 16th century. In fact, the first recorded usage of the Christmas tree for Christmas celebrations in Germany came sixty years after the death of Martin Luther.

         The White House put up a Christmas tree for the first time in the mid 1850s. This was done by the then president of the US, Franklin Pierce. The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony that takes place every year on the lawns of the White House was initiated by President Calvin Coolidge in the year 1923.

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