THE Christmas tree it is an important decorative item in the Christmas tradition, as well as the nativity scene, the wreath, the Christmas lights, among other items. All these elements are rich in symbology, as well as the Christmas itself, which is one of the most relevant commemorative dates for our culture and, therefore, is marked by parties, religious services, charity actions, etc.
The assembly of the Christmas tree, in Christian culture, must take place in the first sunday of Advent, based on the liturgical calendar of Catholicism, the day on which the Liturgical Year starts again. Among the decorative items are balls and stars, for example. The Christmas tree probably originated in pagan cultures and has been re-signified by Christians throughout history.
Accessalso: Corpus Christi – the feast that takes place in honor of the Eucharist
Does the Christmas tree have a pagan origin?
Historians consider the tree as a Christmas symbol likely to originate in cultures of pagan origin. We currently know that people like the romans and the egyptians, used trees during important religious festivals. The Romans, for example, decorated their temples with trees during Saturnália, a religious festival for the god Saturn.
Furthermore, among the Romans an evergreen tree (a tree that is always green and does not lose its leaves) was considered an important symbol of life. The Romans also had a practice of decorating their homes with laurels in honor of their emperors. This practice was questioned by Christians such as Tertullian, a famous Christian of antiquity who condemned this practice as pagan.
In some ancient cultures, keeping an evergreen tree indoors was a way of ensure fertility, as it managed to keep its leaves green, even in the winter period. It is believed that over time this type of tree came to be used as a symbol by Christians in the middle of the Middle Ages.
A possible starting point for understanding this redefinition of the tree for Christians is the story of the eighth-century Saxon bishop, known as Saint Boniface. On one occasion, Saint Boniface witnessed people performing a religious ritual in front of an oak tree, a tree sacred to the Germans, as it was associated with the figure of Thor. São Bonifácio, then, would have cut down the tree and, since nothing happened to him after the felling, he took advantage of the situation to preach and convert those present.
There are some who say he pointed to the fir, a tree with evergreen leaves, claiming that its evergreen leaves symbolized the nature of God. Others, in turn, claim that he pointed to the fir as a way to preach the idea of Trinity for those heathens. There is, however, no proof if this story is really related to the origin of the use of the tree as a Christmas symbol by Christians.
Other historians maintain that the Christmas tree is a symbol that was derived directly from a tradition linked to the nordic peoples. Here we are talking about the Jol, also known as Yule, a Nordic festival that was held during the winter solstice in northern Europe.
During Jól, the Norse used the judging, the pine, as decoration. This pine was a reference to an important symbol of the Norse worldview: the Yggdrasil, a gigantic cosmic tree that supported the Universe and all the nine worlds that existed in it. It was a tree that symbolized life and fertility.
Accessalso: Nordic mythology - set of beliefs practiced by the Norse
How did the modern Christmas tree come about?
The tradition of decorating trees at Christmas time is believed to date back to the late Middle Ages, at the beginning of the Modern Age and started in the northern europe. Different places in Europe claim the origin of the Christmas tree and places like Talinn (Estonia), Riga (Latvia) and Bremen (Germany) are pointed out as some of the likely creators of this Christmas symbol.
There is even a hypothesis that the practice of decorating trees has been consolidated in the German region by Martin Luther's influence, the initiator of Protestant Reformation, in the 16th century. Some historians say Luther decided to place a decorated tree inside his home after walking through the woods at night. From then on, the practice spread.
It was common in 16th century Germany for people to use apples and walnuts to decorate their Christmas trees. Later, apples and walnuts were replaced by decorative balls, that were created by a German glassblower in the 19th century.
The popularization of the Christmas tree ended up causing this item to be spread around the world. It is believed that the practice became very common under the influence of Queen Victoria, the English queen of the 19th century who adopted the decoration of the Christmas tree. In that same century, the practice arrived in the United States through German immigrants.
Assembly date
Here in Brazil, the liturgical calendar of Catholicism is used as a reference for the assembly of the Christmas tree. Therefore, the right time to build a Christmas tree is at first sunday of Advent, a liturgical time in the Catholic calendar that announces the birth of Jesus Christ.
Thus, in 2019, for example, the first Sunday of Advent was on December 1st. For other years, the Advent date will be:
2020: November 29th;
2021: November 28th;
2022: December 27th.
The disassembly of the Christmas tree, in turn, always takes place on the day January 6th, known as Kings' Day, that the visit of the Magi to Jesus, a newborn.
