Christmas tree (1832)

1800S, GERMAN

‍

The first American Christmas tree of note was put up by Harvard University’s first Prof of German, who erected one on the grounds in 1832.

In his book, ‘The American Language’ (1920), HL Mencken recounts how in the following years these decorated evergreen trees began appearing in other American cities: Belleville, Illinois in 1833; Philadelphia in 1834; Cincinnati in 1835; Fort Motte in 1839; Rochester New York in 1840 and 1841; New York City in 1843; Williams-burg in 1845 and Richmond Virginia in 1846. Every one of these trees was put up by German immigrants, none of whom would have heard of Santa Claus (1773) when they first came to America. They would have known the German equivalent Belsnickel.

The Christmas tree is a German tradition and in the English language started in America thanks to its German immigrants. The German name is Weihnachtsbaum, meaning ‘holy-night tree’. It is said that Northern European pagans brought the trees into the home on the darkest night of the year in honour of the only tree that stays green all year round.

There were those in America who questioned the sanity or religious purpose of worshipping a tree but once it was explained Americans took to the idea.

The England, on the other hand, did not catch on to them until a few years later during the early reign of Queen Victoria, when she introduced the country to them separately – not because of what was happening in the US. The first recorded mention in English of a Christmas Tree is from 1835.

‍