Origins of the Christmas Tree

What would Christmas be without a Christmas tree?  The present day-tradition, now an integral component of the festive season, originated from a combination of various old customs.

The ancient Romans and Germanic peoples used to have evergreen plants in their houses in winter. In
honour o Saturn, the god of fertility, the Romans decorated their houses with mistletoe, ivy, laurel and
fruits. The Germanic peoples used fir twigs to ward off evil spirits.

Decorated trees were used in the Middle Ages at various festivities.  The Christmas tree was also originally a festive decoration of this nature, which gradually assumed increasing importance, over the years, gold- painted nuts, biscuits and sweets replaced or supplemented apples and pears.

Hanging Christmas trees

Decorated Christmas trees were used in the 16th century, particularly in city guilds and associations
and then, after the Thirty Years War, in the houses of wealthy citizens, but without candles, which did
not appear extensively until the 18th century. Hanging Christmas trees were also popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.

It was not until the 19th century that this form of tree began to disappear.  Wealthy households sometimes had several trees - one for each member of the family - and in some places a decorated
box tree also served the purpose.

Household item

Although Christmas trees today seem to have been around forever, they have only been a household
item for the last century.

The designation "Christmas tree" was introduced in the late 19th century when in view of its great
popularity, the church decided to include it in the Christian Christmas tradition.  Since thern
Christmas trees have become an industry in their own right.

Changing decoration fashions

Tree decorations have always been at the whim of fashion.  While Jugendstil Christmas trees had
white and silver decorations as a reflection of a new attitude to art,  after the Second World War people used let-over pre-war decorations.

The Tree

Tyrol spruce

The perfect Christmas tree for Schonbrunn was sighted during a special expedition to Tyrol in September.  It is a 58-year-old, 25-meter high spruce growing 950 metres above sea level in Brixental forest.  The gift from the Austrian Federal Forestry Department made the 400 km journey from
Tyrol to Vienna in early November.  Decorated with 1,000 low - emission LED lights, the
magnificent tree can be admired by visitors of the Christmas Market for six weeks before being
professionally lowered and cut up to enjoy a dignified end as a festive treat for the animals in
Schonbrunn Zoo.