Christian people brought evergreen trees indoors at Christmastime and hung them upside down from their ceilings as a symbol of the Christian faith.
Others claim that the earliest recorded reference to evergreen trees being used at Christmas celebrations was documented by 16th century German craft guilds. One such reference tells of a fir tree that was decorated and displayed in the guild’s main shop, and that the guildmen’s children were allowed to take the small gifts that decorated the tree for the holiday. Still other references suggest that perhaps the guild apprentices were charged with carrying the decorated evergreen through the streets in celebration.
Martin Luther is another individual credited with the early association between the evergreen tree and Christmas. As the story goes, Luther was out for a walk one winter evening, admiring the beauty of the twinkling stars in the clear night sky. He was thus inspired to cut down an evergreen tree, bring it indoors, and attempt to re-create the starlight effect by decorating the tree with candles.
Transition to the Modern Day Christmas Tree:
Traditionally, Germans decorated their Christmas trees with fruits, nuts, small gifts, and other trinkets. Glass ornaments also got their start in the famous glassblowing shops of Germany. For this reason, our modern day tradition of decorated Christmas trees is usually traced back to a German heritage.
There was a period of time when Christmas trees were shunned by conservative Christians as idolatry. In Puritan America, Christmas trees were not welcome in Christmas celebrations. In England, decorated trees and Christmas carols were banned completely. Fortunately, these days