The thought of his reindeer-driven slay gracefully flying and jingling from rooftop to rooftop is enough to get anyone excited for Christmas. But how did these mystical creatures that we know and love come to be?

Are Christmas Trees Pagan?

For thousands of years, evergreen plants have held significance in many festivals and celebrations. Even before the start of Christianity, the Romans would put fir trees up during the Pagan festival, Saturnalia. The trees were believed to be symbolic of fertility and would also ward off evil spirits.

Germany - Home of the Christmas Tree

Later on, in 16th century Germany, people would put up “paradise trees” in their homes on Christmas eve. Rather than having a whole tree in the house like we do today, they would use branches decorated with apples, which were to represent the tree in the Garden of Eden.

It is believed that the first example of someone bringing a Christmas Tree into their home and decorating it with lights, was by 16th Century German preacher, Martin Luther. Luther had been out walking in a forest and was struck by the beauty of the stars shining through the fir trees. He decided to bring one inside and decorated it with candles to remind him of the Christmas sky.

How the Christmas Tree Came to Britain

The Christmas Tree didn’t become popular in the UK until the 19th Century when Queen Victoria’s German husband, Prince Albert, introduced the tradition. A picture of the royal family decorating their tree was published, and the British people soon followed suit.

No matter its origin, we know our home would feel incomplete without a Christmas Tree standing in pride of place at Christmas time!