Why Do We Decorate Christmas Trees?

A simple history of Christmas tree decorating, evergreen symbolism and the family ritual of unpacking the same ornaments every year.

Decorated evergreens became strongly associated with Christmas in German-speaking Europe and spread widely during the nineteenth century. Candles gave way to electric lights; handmade ornaments met glass baubles; family collections accumulated one strange object at a time.

The real magic is repetition

A perfect designer tree can be beautiful. A tree carrying twenty years of mismatched family history can be something better.

Filed under: Christmas traditions · family Christmas