Origins of the Christmas tree

Christmas Trees in Scotland

Before evergreen trees were a symbol of Christmas, pagan Norsemen in northern Germany used them to ward off evil. It was thought that plants and trees which stayed green throughout the year had special powers to protect against spirits that accompanied the darkest time of year. 

Mistletoe and holly were especially popular evergreens and entire trees, known as Yule trees, were brought into the home to celebrate the Norse god Jul. The first publicly decorated Christmas tree was back in 1510 in Riga, Latvia; on this occasion, the tree was the centrepiece of a dance and was subsequently set on fire!

The modern tradition of Christmas trees spread from Germany to the United Kingdom thanks to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In 1848, the Illustrated London News published a drawing of the royal couple with a beautifully decorated tree, thus popularising the custom. Scots Pine can make a fine and fragrant Christmas tree but Nordmann fir and Norway spruce are the varieties more commonly used in the UK.

In Canada the majority of trees displayed in homes are artificial, which I suppose protects our wild baby trees. It has become rare for families to snowshoe into the forest to choose a wild tree. Forests are mainly protected, making it a crime to cut trees without a license, unless they are within a few meters of a main road.

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The tree above was created inside the Jackie Lawson Advent Calendar for this year. for $5 or less there is a treat to discover each day from December 1-25. Jackie and her talented husband live in the Uk and create digital greeting cards with music all year round. You can become a member for a small fee and send as many cards as you want for a whole year. Each year the couple create a themed Advent Calendar with all kinds of stories, moving pictures and games. This year the theme is Edinburgh and ladt year it was Alpine. 

So far this year I’ve enjoyed the Tartan app where you can create infinite tartans with a large selection of colours. The Christmas tree decorator app also added hours of fun, and currently I’m battling a skiing teddy bear game which says you can get to 20,000 points, but with only an ipad and two fingers my dexterity has only reached 6,900. 

You can check out this fun Calendar here

PS I think the ideas of dancing around the tree and setting it on fire would be great fun. Perhaps I should introduce it locally, with hot wine, roadted chestnuts and shortbread treats.