Green Christmas Tree Papercraft

17 Dec, 2021

Every Christmas celebration is incomplete if you don't decorate your house or place of worship with a Christmas tree. However, did you know that the presence of a Christmas tree is motivated by a long and unique history? Well, if you don't know and are curious about the long story about the Christmas tree, it's a good idea to read the history below.

1. It has been around for thousands of years

No one can say for sure when the fir tree was used as a Christmas tree decoration. However, some say that the fir tree has been used at Christmas for thousands of years.

Some say that people who enter the flow of paganism have used spruce trunks to celebrate the changing winter. Then, there are also stories about the Romans who decorated their temples to welcome the celebration of Saturnalia, which is a worship of the god of prosperity.

2. The first city to use a Christmas tree

Apart from the question of exactly when the Christmas tree was first used, the thing that is still being debated is in which city the Christmas tree was first used when this Christian holiday is commemorated. This debate raised two names of cities from countries in the Northern European region. Tallinn and Riga are the first cities to claim to use whole spruce trees for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

It is said that Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, was first known to have had a Christmas tree in 1441. On the other hand, Riga, which incidentally is the capital of Latvia, also claimed the same thing in 1510. In fact, in the town square of Riga, there is a plaque that marks the first Christmas tree in the country. that city.

3. The Story of St. Boniface and the conversion of pagans to Christianity

The story about the Christmas tree is growing from time to time. Countries in the Baltic region do not escape the stories behind the presence of these decorations. One of them involves a character named St. Boniface.

Told St. Boniface who came from England decided to go and travel to Germany. On his way, he came across a group of pagans who made offerings to worship the oak tree.

To prevent the cult from continuing, St. Boniface also tried to cut down an oak tree and gave evidence that the oak tree will continue to grow even after it has been cut. From there, the pagans converted to Christianity.

4. The early figure of the originator of Christmas tree decorations at home

Christmas tree decorations that are displayed at home don't necessarily come just like that, you know. There is a unique story behind the placement of a Christmas tree in the house. Martin Luther, a religious preacher and church reformer from Germany who first had the idea of bringing a Christmas tree into the house.

Set in the 16th century, told the day before Christmas Martin Luther took time to walk through the forest. On the way, he looked up at the sky and saw the stars shining brightly among the trees. A moment later, he cut down a tree in the forest and brought it home. Not to forget, he told the incident to his son. According to him, the incident reminded him of Jesus.

5. More modern in the 19th century

The Christmas tree that has been used for a long time is getting more preening in the 19th century. Prince Albert had a hand in popularizing the Christmas tree and its decorations which are still preserved today. The background of Queen Victoria's husband who comes from Germany is why the Christmas tree is getting more and more transformed. The reason is, Germany has always had a unique Christmas tradition, especially in decorating Christmas trees.

The British royal family at that time began to beautify the Christmas tree with hanging candles, candies, and other trinkets. This activity was immortalized in a sketch published in a newspaper in London. Since then the British people began to prepare Christmas trees like the royal family.

The long and unique story about the Christmas tree shows that its presence has so much meaning. From the Christmas tree, the relationship with God becomes more lasting and brings warmth to the whiteness of Christmas.