The Christmas tree is a pine tree decorated with various ornaments and lights, whose meaning is related to the eternal love of God and the birth of Jesus Christ.
The meaning of the Christmas tree was attributed by Saint Boniface around the 8th century, who chose the pine because it has evergreen leaves (since they live both in winter and summer), which is why it is considered a “tree of life.”
Since then, it has been a decorative element of great symbolism for the celebration of Easter, next to the manger, nativity scene or birth.
The Christmas tree has a religious meaning. On the one hand, it resembles paradise tree of which Adam and Eve ate, introducing original sin. On the other hand, it announces the arrival of the Messiah, who represents the true tree of life, which erases sin and brings reconciliation. Thus, this Christian symbol relates the Old Testament to the New Testament.
Meaning of the elements of the Christmas tree
From left to right, top: star, angel, Christmas balls, lights. Below: Christmas tree with tinsel, pine cones, various decorations, gifts at the foot of the tree.
The decorative elements of the Christmas tree are usually: a star or an angel at the highest part; colored balls and lights. Other elements are foam, garlands, bows, and various decorations. Christmas gifts are usually left at the foot of the tree. Each of these elements has its own meaning.
Star: It symbolizes the star of Bethlehem, the guiding star of the three Wise Men until Jesus Christ; It is placed at the top of the tree.
Angel: Sometimes the star of Bethlehem is replaced by a richly attired angel. This represents the angel Gabriel who announces the birth of the Messiah.
Lights: They are the representation of the light that Jesus Christ brought to the world with his coming. That is, they refer to the mystery of Christmas Eve, when Jesus Christ comes to the world bringing the light of a new hope.
Colour balls: They represent the gifts that God gave to men; It is said that it had initially been decorated with apples, as a symbol of the temptations from which Christ came to redeem us.
Bows and tinsel: symbols of family unity and joy.
Pineapples: They are the fruits of the Christmas tree.
Various decorations: They serve a decorative function. However, since they are freely chosen, people can attribute a particular meaning to them. Bells, glass tears, flowers, soldiers, toys, stuffed animals, candy canes, family photographs, etc. can be used.
Christmas presents: The gifts at the foot of the tree have a deep Christian meaning. Remember that all the goods that human beings receive come from Jesus Christ, the tree of life.
He green color of the tree is a symbol of life and hope, while the tip of the tree points to the heavenly heights.
Nowadays, the Christmas tree can be natural (a pine or a fir), or artificial. Artificial pine trees are usually made of plastic or synthetic materials that emulate a real tree.
History of the Christmas tree
The origin of the Christmas tree dates back to the Middle Ages. Indeed, it is considered to result from an adaptation of the tree of life or tree of the universe, called Yggdrasil, typical of Norse mythology. Yggdrasil was represented by an ash tree.
This symbol was used to celebrate the birth of the god of the Sun and fertility, known as Frey, on dates close to our current Christmas.
During the evangelization of Germany, in the 8th century, Saint Boniface thought of a way to orient the faith of pagans towards the Christian God. Instead of banishing the practices, he chose to modify and give new meaning to the Yggdrasil symbol.
So Saint Boniface cut down an ash tree and in its place planted an evergreen pine tree as a symbol of God’s eternal love. Then, he decorated it with apples, representing original sin, and candles, symbolizing the light of Christ.
However, the tradition took a long time to spread. For example, in Germany it became an established custom since the 17th century, while in countries like England and Spain it only arrived in the 19th century.
Over time, the apples and candles would be transformed into balls and colored lights, just like today’s Christmas trees look.
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