The Christmas tree seems to have been widespread in Italy since 1898, when Queen Margherita of Savoy installed one in the Quirinal Palace in Rome, following the tradition of the royal courts of Germany, Austria and France.

The origin of the Christmas tree probably goes back to a medieval play called ‘Paradiesspiel’, the ‘Paradise Play’, which was performed in Germany on 24 December, the day of Adam and Eve. In this play, an evergreen tree with red apples, representing the forbidden fruit, was used to symbolise the tree of Paradise.

As 24 December became increasingly perceived as Christmas Eve, the Paradise tree became a Christmas tree. Initially placed in churches and public squares, the Christmas tree made its way into homes from the 16th century onwards. It is said that it was Martin Luther who put a fir tree in his house to symbolise the birth of Christ and decorated it with candles to represent the stars.

For a long time, the Christmas tree custom remained a tradition in northern Germany, while it was less widespread in southern Germany, partly because Catholics regarded it as a Protestant custom. Its spread to the rest of Europe was largely driven by marriages between European families. In Vienna in 1816, the German Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg, wife of Archduke Charles of Austria, had a Christmas tree installed in the Albertina Palace, a tradition that subsequently spread throughout Austrian society. In France in 1840, it was the Duchess Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, wife of Prince Ferdinand Philippe d’Orléans, who introduced the German tradition. In Britain, it was Queen Charlotte of England, born Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who introduced it by having the first tree placed at the Royal Lodge at Windsor in 1800. However, the Christmas tree only became popular in Britain when ‘The Illustrated London News’ published a picture of the royal family with Queen Victoria and her husband, the German-born Prince Albert, in front of the decorated tree in 1848. The tradition continued to spread throughout Europe and later all over the world.

In Italy, as mentioned above, the Christmas tree was introduced by Queen Margherita in 1898, while its definitive adoption, with its placement also in Italian squares, took place in 1982, when Pope John Paul II had a large Christmas tree erected in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.

I like to think that it was Martin Luther who brought the Christmas tree into our homes. Just as I like to believe that it was St. Francis of Assisi who invented the nativity scene.

The Christmas tree, together with the manger scene, are the symbols of Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you all!