Pilgrim Place

It’s difficult to pinpoint when and why Christians first began to use evergreen trees at Christmas. There are many legends and myths regarding the origin of Christmas trees. For example, the ancient Romans brought greenery into their homes in winter to symbolize life in the midst of bleakness and death.German Christians in the early part of the 16th century may have been the first to use evergreen trees during Advent and Christmas. While those trees may have had no candles on them, they were decorated with items at hand: colored paper, gold foil, apples and dolls. German immigrants brought the custom to America in the early 1700s when they settled in Pennsylvania.

Some scholars say that evergreen trees represent Christ because they, too, are everlasting. Others say that Christmas trees remind us of salvation which came to us through Christ who died on a “tree.” St. Peter wrote:

“He [Jesus] Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24, NIV).

The forbidden fruit of the tree in the Garden of Eden, when eaten, brought guilt and death. On the other hand, the “tree” on Calvary was the instrument by which God through Christ ushered in salvation, new life and hope.

The Christmas tree can remind us of those wonderful gifts.