Where did the Christmas tree come from?

The custom of decorating a Christmas tree is very old - it is about two thousand years old. Our ancestors worshiped trees, believing that they housed powerful spirits that needed to be appeased with gifts. The evergreen spruce occupied a special place among the trees, symbolizing life itself and a new rebirth from darkness and gloom.

It is believed that the first Christmas tree was decorated in the 16th century in Alsace, which previously belonged to Germany (now part of France). German princesses married foreign princes and introduced the winter custom to other European countries.

This happened with Russia too. As it turned out, the Christmas tree came to Russia relatively recently - about 200 years ago. Under Peter I, Christmas trees were not placed in houses, but were decorated with twigs and pine paws. In Russia, the custom of putting up a New Year tree was introduced into everyday life by the wife of Emperor Nicholas I, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. In 1817, small Christmas trees appeared on tables in the Winter Palace - in memory of their native Prussia. One day, a green forest beauty was brought into the palace hall, on which gifts for everyone could easily fit. royal family and children. Soon all the courtiers wanted to have the same tree. In 1852, the first public Christmas tree was held in St. Petersburg. And by the end of the 19th century, this beautiful custom spread throughout Russia.

In the village of Novonikolaevsky, the New Year tree first appeared in January 1899 with funds raised by priest Poselsky and the Gorlov family. About 200 children attended the celebration school age. They sang, danced, and took part in various games. At the end of the holiday, the children were given sweets, books, and toys.

Before the revolution, Novonikolaevsk residents celebrated Christmas (from December 24 to 27) and New Year holidays (January 1). These days were non-working days. Christmas trees were sold in all bazaars.

Take the Christmas tree and cancel it

But everything changed with the Bolsheviks coming to power. Many people remember the story about Lenin at the Kremlin Christmas tree for children. This was the last tree. Then the authorities decided that the decorated Christmas tree was an attribute of the religious holiday of Christmas, and, therefore, it must be fought in the same way as religion. Yes, myself New Year's celebration It was unclear when to celebrate: either in the old way, or in the new way. Because on January 24, 1918, a new style was introduced.

It was the darkest time for children and parents. New Year became a working day of the week, we went to bed as usual - tomorrow we have a shift. No gifts, no Christmas trees. It has become impossible to buy them, and bringing them from the forest is even dangerous.

"Holiday of the Happy"

The Christmas tree was rehabilitated only in 1936. More precisely, back in 1935, the leader of the Ukrainian Bolsheviks, Pavel Postyshev, made a proposal to organize a Soviet New Year tree for children. His proposal was supported by both children and adults in all corners Soviet Union. And already this year they began to hold the first New Year holidays. Stalin decided to return the Christmas tree to homes.

Officially, the New Year celebration was resumed with the holiday of the “Main Christmas tree of the country” in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions on January 10, 1937 - in the most terrible year of terror. The authorities decided to use the New Year holiday for ideological purposes, glorifying the great Stalin and thanking him for our happy life. The workers were given an explanation that supposedly “enemies of the people” had previously banned the New Year holiday, but now justice has triumphed.

In Siberia and Novosibirsk, the first New Year trees were held in January 1936. In December 1936, the secretary of the West Siberian Regional Committee of the Komsomol Pantyukhov appealed through the Bolshevik Smena newspaper to all schoolchildren, pioneers, Komsomol members and teachers of the West Siberian Territory with a proposal to celebrate the New Year holiday with a Soviet New Year tree.

“The delegate of all forests came to visit you today”

The city began selling Christmas trees and Christmas decorations. The city's green space trust has stocked 1,700 green beauties for sale. But they were sold only in two places: in a country nursery and near the Red Torch building. And the prices were prohibitively high: a small Christmas tree cost 12–15 rubles. A little later, Christmas trees began to be sold in Pervomaisky Square. Although, according to the resolution of the City Council, they were supposed to be sold in all large stores in the city.

The situation with Christmas tree decorations was no better. The demand for them was crazy. In a few days, stores sold them for 250 thousand rubles. But there was a catastrophic shortage of toys. Local artels did not immediately shake up. But the Krasnaya Sibir confectionery factory produced 700 kg of chocolates in colored foil wrappers that could be hung on the Christmas tree.

Colorfully decorated Christmas trees appeared as samples in the largest stores in the city: Soyuzkulttorg (former trading building) and Soyuzunivermag. But the problem was that there were no toys on sale that were on display at the Christmas trees. Another feature of those days was that toys were sold only in bulk. There were several boxes with different configurations, prices ranged from 56 to 300 rubles.

You can take everything - you cannot exchange or add. The toys were mostly cotton wool and cardboard, and there were so few of them in the set that it was impossible to decorate even a yard-long tabletop Christmas tree with them. I had to take three or four boxes. Often the sets included celluloid, dull wooden toys, and rubber dolls, which, due to their bulkiness, could not fit on the Christmas tree.

A little later, the city council ordered the toys to be sold in bulk. Small cardboard Christmas tree decorations appeared on the shelves: watches, handbags, buckets, beautifully and elegantly made. The most expensive thing among them is a drum for 61 kopecks.

Pushkin and Schmidt were at the carnival

The highlight of the Soviet Christmas tree was carnival. In order to somehow orient the children, newspapers published approximate holiday scenarios and sketches carnival costumes. Pushkin's theme was in fashion. Alexander Sergeevich himself enters the hall. His heroes run up to him: “You don’t recognize us? I am Tatyana. And this is Lensky. And here is Mazepa. Evgeny Onegin dances with Marina Mnishek."

In the next room, a hairdresser is straightening the beard of the hero of Chelyuskin’s epic, Otto Yulievich Schmidt. After the hairdresser, “Grandfather Schmidt” dashingly dances the hopak with a mermaid. Famous pilots - Chkalov, Baidukov, Belyakov - are also walking around here. A girl parachutist receives a mysterious letter from the postman: “You, girl, look good in all your outfits.” But Don Quixote thought about the contents of the letter: “Is it possible to choose a nook and cranny for further walks?” To make a costume for the hero of Cervantes, the children were asked to use stilts in order to be taller.

The usual red roses, daisies, and lilies swirled in the New Year's round dance. “Spanish women,” “Ukrainians,” and “Chinese” walked in crowds. Literary characters were honored: Taras Bulba, Gulliver, Belikov (the hero of Chekhov’s story “The Man in a Case”). The birdhouse and beet costumes were quite original in production. Imagine a walking house with a roof, and the head of a child in a bird mask peeking out of a round hole... The beet frame was also voluminous. It was made from rods and wire. The child sat inside, and his little head looked out from the leaves of the root vegetable. Many schoolchildren wore masks and half-masks of various animals, birds, characters from Krylov’s fables, and Chukovsky’s fairy tales. Only the guys had to make them themselves. After all, in stores at that time they sold masks exclusively of drunkards and quitters.

Lyudmila Kuzmenkina

We all buy a Christmas tree for the New Year and try to decorate it with the best beautiful toys. Surely each of us keeps whole collection Christmas tree decorations: glass balls, stars, pendants, figurines. Why are Christmas tree decorations exactly the way we are used to seeing them? Each of them has its own story and each of them means something. Some peoples in ancient times believed that the spirits living inside trees were responsible for people’s lives, their health and good luck in the new year. They had to be appeased with offerings, so New Year's tree They brought all the most valuable things - beautiful things, food supplies. This is how the custom of decorating a living New Year tree arose.

Officially the custom of dressing up live Christmas tree for the New Year took shape in the middle of the 7th century in Europe. Christmas decorations at that time were not simple toys, but with things closely related to religious symbolism. Dried apples were hung on the Christmas trees, these were “fruits from the Garden of Eden”, gingerbread and cookies symbolized the bread from the communion ceremony, and the top of the tree was always decorated with the guiding “Bethlehem” star. It was the familiar apples that inspired craftsmen to make the first Christmas tree balls.

Until the mid-8th century, Christmas trees were decorated exclusively with what could be eaten. Later, edible decorations were replaced by toys made of wood, pine cones and shells, paper flowers, silver stars and brass figurines appeared - angels, soldiers, fairies. Real Christmas tree decorations were very expensive, so only wealthy families could afford to decorate the Christmas tree with them.

The first Christmas tree balls were made in Germany, in the city of Lausch. They were made of thick glass and were much heavier than those we are used to now. The inside of the balls was covered with a layer of lead (later the harmful lead was replaced with silver), and the outside with multi-colored sparkles.
In 1857, in the same city of Lausch, a gas factory was opened, where glassblowers blew light balls with thin walls, and not only balls, but also all kinds of complex shapes - fruits, animals, fairy tale characters. These toys were famous throughout Europe and for a long time Lausch craftsmen were unsurpassed leaders in the production of glass Christmas tree decorations. Only at the beginning of the 20th century did they learn to make similar products in other countries.

At the end of the 19th century, the so-called cartonage, figures made of convex cardboard, was extremely popular. The best products were produced in Europe, in the city of Dresden, so the technology was called “Dresden cartonage”. They came to Russia in the form large sheets, from which you had to cut out figures yourself and glue them together using a certain technology. Later they began to be made in volume, and by the beginning of the 20th century - porcelain.
Dresden and Leipzig also became famous for introducing the fashion for Christmas tree decorations in the “techno” style - trains, planes, airships, and figurines in the form of animals - turtles, elephants, bears.

History of Christmas tree decorations in our country

The custom of celebrating the New Year was approved in Russia by Peter the Great, but the entire tradition of decorating the New Year tree, lighting candles, and giving gifts was transferred to Russia later, under Nicholas I.

The first New Year's decorations in Russia were made of wood, cotton wool, fabric, and papier-mâché. Cardboard was very popular among wealthy families; it was ordered from Europe, like the first glass toys. Later, our craftsmen learned to copy foreign products and set up their own production. As before, the New Year tree was often decorated with edible decorations - cookies, gingerbread, nuts, as well as toys made from scrap materials - painted pine cones, flowers and foil stars.
Christmas tree decorations have always captured important historical events and were a reflection of their time.
From 1927 to 1935, the New Year was banned in the Soviet Union as a religious holiday that posed a threat to Soviet ideology. The development of the production of Christmas tree decorations was temporarily suspended.

In 1935, the holiday was rehabilitated and officially returned to the people. Christmas tree decorations have begun to appear on store shelves again. Many decorations of those times were made in the form of revolutionary symbols - these were five pointed stars, images of hammer and sickle. There were also decorations depicting members of the Politburo, but this practice was quickly abandoned for ideological reasons. Glass fragile balls often broke, and throwing political leaders in the trash was not very common then.
During the Second World War, very few toys were produced, but the production of New Year's decorations was not completely stopped. In those years, a military-patriotic theme prevailed on Christmas trees: you could see toys in the form of soldiers, tanks, and machine guns.

In the 50s, the shape of Christmas tree decorations still reflected the life of the people, only now a peaceful life. Small glass hockey players and other sports figures appeared on the Christmas trees. Famous films and cartoons also contributed to the design of Christmas tree decorations in the form of circus characters, fairy-tale animals and birds. Toys in the form of watches were very popular - these are echoes of the great success of the movie " Carnival Night" At the same time, glass beads came into fashion as Christmas tree decorations.
In the 60s, after the first successful launches of satellites and the first human flight into space, Christmas tree decorations in the form of astronauts and rockets were produced, but toys in the form of corn, cucumbers, and ears of wheat are already echoes of the agrarian reform.

In the 70s and 80s there was not much variety and originality in the production of Christmas tree decorations. Factories in those years produced many almost identical products in the form of cones, balls, hares, pieces of ice, and icicles. At the same time, there were a huge number of them! Before the New Year, they were laid out on store windows like fruit - whole colorful glass slides, which created a sharp contrast against the background of the shortage and shortage of luxury goods. At the same time, New Year's "rain" and multi-colored tinsel become especially popular.

The 90s can be marked by the population’s love for predictions, horoscopes, and mysticism. Many toys appear depicting the symbol of the year Chinese calendar, fabulous animals and unusual creatures.

Now we have access to Christmas tree decorations for every taste and color. We can buy both original handmade toys and factory identical figurines desired color, matching the color of the walls or furniture.

Probably, a sign of our time can be called balls with paintings depicting historical places or events; they are happily bought and produced by modern factories for the production of Christmas tree decorations. You can find Christmas tree decorations dedicated, for example, to the 2016 Sochi Olympics.
Many factories producing Christmas tree decorations conduct excursions where children are told about the features of this craft. Visitors can also paint a Christmas tree decoration for themselves as a souvenir.

The custom of selecting a Christmas tree from all the trees and decorating it for the holiday was born among the inhabitants of Germany. The Germans believed that spruce was a sacred tree, in whose branches lived the good “spirit of the forests” - the defender of truth. Green at any time of the year, it personified immortality, eternal youth, courage, fidelity, longevity and dignity. Even its cones were a symbol of the fire of life and restoration of health. Exactly at the very big Christmas tree in the forest, every year, at the end of December (when the “sunny” year began) people “hung various gifts"for spirits, to make them kinder, to get a rich harvest. Ancient Europeans hung apples from green spruce branches - a symbol of fertility, eggs - a symbol of developing life, harmony and complete well-being, nuts - the incomprehensibility of divine providence. It was believed that spruce branches decorated in this way warded off evil spirits and evil spirits. They decorated the Christmas tree with toys.

And already from Germany this custom spread to other countries. Some scientists believe that the first Christmas tree was decorated in the 16th century in Alsace (which previously belonged to Germany, but is now part of France).

In our country, the fate of the Christmas tree was not easy. And before a decorated New Year tree began to appear in our homes, by order of Peter I, the home was simply decorated with Christmas tree branches. After the decree of Peter I “On the celebration of the New Year” according to the European model, our ancestors for the first time decorated their houses for the New Year with branches of pine, spruce and juniper according to the samples that were exhibited in the royal guest courtyard. The decree did not talk specifically about the Christmas tree, but about trees in general. At first they were decorated with nuts, sweets, fruits and even vegetables, and they began to decorate the Christmas tree with toys and garlands much later, from the middle of the 19th century. In the 30s of the 19th century, Christmas trees were put up for the holiday only in the houses of St. Petersburg Germans. The decorated spruce first lit up with lights in 1852 in St. Petersburg in the premises of the Ekaterininsky Station

The first public Christmas tree, according to contemporaries

Another version of the first Christmas tree. It is believed that the very first New Year tree was installed in Riga in 1510. This is evidenced not only by documents found in the Riga archives, but also by the oldest in the world Christmas tree decoration. True, there is still debate about where exactly the first Christmas tree appeared - according to some sources, it was installed somewhere between Riga and Tallinn, according to others, it was in Tallinn. But in 2010, the prime ministers of Latvia and Estonia agreed that the first New Year's Eve forest beauty was installed after all in Livonia. Unfortunately, very little is known about the first Riga Christmas tree. It is known that it was installed in front of the famous house of the Blackheads. She was dressed up with slings in black hats. But after the holiday the tree was burned.

In this article we will talk about the origins of the European custom decorate the Christmas tree and how the features of this tradition changed at different stages of history. We will mainly talk about traditions of Germany and France and, in particular, about the Alsace and Lorraine regions, since it is the capital of Central Alsace that the city is considered the “official birthplace” of the New Year tree, and neighboring Lorraine gave the world such a popular Christmas tree decoration as a glass ball.

Christmas or New Year tree- this is an image that combines numerous fairy tales, legends, childhood memories and for most people symbolizes a joyful moment when everyone, young and old, gathers together to celebrate Christmas or New Year in a cozy atmosphere. We have an inherent need to hope for renewal and light even in the most severe winter, and the origins of this need go back centuries.

As an evergreen tree, the Christmas tree has always had a magical appeal for both pagans and Christians, being an object of desire, the embodiment of warm holidays and meetings with family and friends. The traditions of decorating the Christmas tree have changed over the course of European history and today are of interest as a kind of cultural monument, as a reflection of our past.

The Ancient Origins of Christmas Traditions

The tradition of veneration and ritual use of trees was found among European peoples already in ancient times. The tree was considered a symbol of life among the ancient peoples of Europe and was often decorated with fruits, flowers, and cereals. Thus, the Celts deified trees and believed that spirits lived in them. And, for example, the Romans per day winter solstice decorated their houses with branches of evergreen trees in honor of the god Janus.

Like many other pagan traditions, this custom was later adopted by Christians, who simply replaced the branches with whole, freshly cut trees. In addition, the popularity of the “Christmas tree” among Christians was facilitated by medieval Christmas mysteries, one of which was dedicated to the story of Adam and Eve, and a spruce decorated with red apples was usually used to depict the tree of paradise.

The Legend of Saint Boniface and the Christmas Tree

According to some reports, the custom of setting up a decorated Christmas tree for Christmas originated in Germany. The "inventor" of the Christmas tree is considered Saint Boniface(675-754) - an English bishop who was engaged in missionary work in Germany, preaching the Christian faith. According to legend, once in a certain Bavarian village Boniface met a pagan tribe that worshiped the sacred oak of the god Thor (according to another version - Odin). To prove to the pagans the powerlessness of their gods, the saint cut down this oak tree, and, to the surprise of the Germans, no powerful spirits emerged from the cut down tree to punish Boniface for his act. Impressed by what they saw, many pagans converted to Christianity.

This legend has the following continuation: before the eyes of the amazed pagans, a young Christmas tree grew in the place of the felled oak tree (in fact, this part of the legend is not confirmed in the life of the saint and is considered a later attempt to Christianize the pagan tradition). Boniface explained to the pagans that the evergreen tree was a symbol of Christ and the strengthening of the Catholic faith, while the fallen oak signified the end of paganism. The next year, all the pagans in the area were already Christians and happily decorated the grown Christmas tree, celebrating the holiday of Christmas, previously unknown to them.

According to another version, with the help of coniferous trees, the crowns of which have triangular shape, St. Boniface tried to convey the idea of ​​the Trinity to the pagans.

Christmas tree of the 16th century: Christian symbolism

For Christmas celebrations in the 16th century, Europeans began to increasingly use whole young trees instead of branches - common, as already mentioned, in the pagan tradition. Moreover, the most suitable for this purpose were immediately recognized as coniferous trees, since they remain green even at the beginning of winter and serve as the embodiment of hope for new life, for the renewal of nature.

The earliest documentary evidence, preserved in the humanistic library, tells that for decorating Christmas trees - which were called by the old German word Meyen- were used at that time apples. These are flavorful and crispy. red apples are still known in Germany and Alsace under the name Christkindel Apfel(“Christmas apples”) In Alsace, it is customary to collect them in October and store them until December-February.

Decorating Christmas trees at that time was most often of an official nature, since these trees were mainly installed in squares in front of churches, as well as in front of the town hall and workshop buildings. The green beauty's outfit consisted of two symbolic elements: firstly, actually apples, which recalled the original sin of Adam and Eve, and secondly, host, or wafer (oublie), which served as an indication of the atonement of sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In the Lyceum Chapel of the Alsatian city of Ageno (Haguenau) ( Haguenau) a fresco of the 15th century has been preserved, in which this symbolism is visually embodied in the form of a tree, the crown of which is clearly divided vertically into two zones: on one side apples hang on the tree, and on the other - wafers.

After Christmas trees began to appear in ordinary homes, the tree was first adopted hang to the ceiling beam, as was previously done with “pagan” branches. After some time, they began to place the spruce in a small tub filled with sand and gravel.

Which Christmas decorations were most common during this period, besides, of course, the aforementioned apples and wafers? Since the beginning of the 16th century, a Christmas tree decoration called Zischgold, which was made from thin metal plates or gilded strips, which added even more shine to the festive decoration of the Christmas tree.

Another similar type of Christmas tree decorations is lametta- gimp, or “rain”, which in France is usually called “angel hair” ( cheveux d'ange). According to some reports, Lyon craftsmen were already making these brilliant Christmas decorations as early as the 15th century.

Is Celeste the birthplace of the Christmas tree?

Although Christmas tree tradition probably existed in Germany and Alsace from about the 12th century, the first written mention of a "Christmas tree" ( Meyen) in this region date back to 1521. This refers to the entry dated December 21, 1521, preserved in humanistic library ( Bibliothèque Humaniste) - an Alsatian city located between and. However, in those days Celeste did not yet belong to France and was called in the German manner: Schlettstadt.

This historical entry in the account book reads: “ Item IIII schillinge dem foerster die meyen an sanctuary Thomas tag zu hieten"("4 shillings - to the forester for protecting the Christmas trees since St. Thomas's Day" (December 21)). Having studied this fragment of city archives, historians have concluded that the custom of decorating houses - primarily, of course, the houses of wealthy citizens - with Christmas trees for Christmas arose in Alsace. As you can see, the authorities of Celeste were forced to spend money to ensure the protection of the forest from plunder by local residents who were trying to get their hands on the coveted Christmas tree.

Several other, later, archival records have also been preserved: for example, a record from 1546 tells that two workers were tasked with building a road into the forest so that it would be easier to get to the spruce trees and cut down the required number of trees. Another record indicates that in 1555 the city authorities, trying to avoid abuses, introduced a ban on cutting down fir trees. Finally, a description has been preserved, compiled in 1600 by the cupbearer of the city hall, Balthasar Beck ( Balthazar Beck) (1580-1641) and dedicated to how the Christmas tree should be decorated and what other customs of that time were associated with the celebration of Christmas in the main hall ( Herrenstube) town hall of Celeste (then Schlettstadt).

In particular, Beck mentions that apples and wafers were used to decorate the tree. He also describes the custom of inviting the children of city council members, the councilors themselves and other municipal employees, who were allowed to “shake” the tree and eat all the delicacies that decorated it. Other Alsatian cities soon joined Celeste. So, in 1539, a Christmas tree was installed in the Strasbourg Cathedral.

In fact, the right to be called " home of the Christmas tree» is disputed by several other European cities. For example, a brief documentary evidence has been preserved that on the Christmas holiday on December 24, 1510, Riga(Latvia) traders danced around a tree decorated with artificial roses before burning it (a clear echo of pagan traditions). There are also malicious Estonians who claim that the first Christmas tree was erected in Tallinn in 1441.

Disputes over where the Christmas tree first appeared have not subsided to this day. sticks to his version, and Church of St. George in December there is an annual exhibition dedicated to christmas tree stories. In addition, in the humanistic library of Celeste, every December, the same archival document from 1521 is exhibited, which allegedly proves that in this Alsatian city the birth of the custom of decorating houses for Christmas with trees.

In any case, apparently, it was here that this custom was documented for the first time in history.

Late 16th - 17th centuries: Protestant traditions of decorating the Christmas tree

In the 16th century, the tradition of having a decorated Christmas tree was firmly rooted in Germany, Austria, Alsace and Lorraine. Moreover, supporters Reformation supported this custom in every possible way, emphasizing the symbolism of spruce as the heavenly Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

At the end of the 16th century, under the influence of Protestant circles and the urban bourgeoisie, the custom of giving gifts on the occasion of the end of the year moved from St. Nicholas (December 6) on December 24. From that time on, the Christmas tree was always at the center of the celebrations: it was under it that gifts were now placed. In addition, with light hand Protestants, the main character of Christmas becomes not Saint Nicholas (who seemed to them too pagan character), but Baby Jesus (Christkindel), who over time became customary to be depicted as a young girl in a veil, dressed in a white robe and a golden crown with fir branches and candles (one of the hypostases of Saint Lucia). She gives gifts to obedient children, while the terrible buka (grandfather with rods) ( Père Fouettard, and in the Alsatian tradition Hans Trapp), in turn, treats the mischievous people not with tangerines and sweets, but with a whip.

In the second half of the 16th century, the leaders of the Reformation refused to use the nativity scenes (Nativity scenes) adopted by Catholics to celebrate Christmas, since Protestants do not have a doctrine of venerating images. Instead of this Protestants began to develop traditions of decorating Christmas trees- after all, this attribute of Christmas, unlike nativity scenes, does not directly depict either Christ or other biblical characters. Martin Luther proposed that the Christmas tree be considered a symbol of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.

The symbolism of decorating a Christmas tree during this period it remains fundamentally Christian and does not cause any objections in the Lutheran camp. Moreover, devout Protestants, focused on careful attention to the texts of the Old Testament, strongly advocated the use of appropriate decoration for the Christmas tree. Therefore, in addition to traditional red apples and hosts, at the end of the 16th century, multi-colored apples were increasingly being used to decorate the Christmas tree. paper wrappers in the shape of roses and other colors.

These flowers are an allusion to the words Prophet Isaiah about the “root of Jesse”- the tree of Jesse, or the family tree of Jesus Christ ( Wed. "And a branch shall come forth from the root of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his root." The symbolism of this type of jewelry indicated the origin and birth of the Savior. In addition to this, the flowers on the tree were reminiscent of the words of an old Christmas carol Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (“The Rose Has Grew”), written just in that era.

The following archival entry in Old German dates back to 1605: “ Auff Weihnachten richtet man Dannenbäume zu Straßburg in den Stuben auf. Daran henket man Roßen auß vielfarbigem Papier geschnitten, Aepfel, Oblaten, Zischgold und Zucker“ (“At Christmas, a fir tree is installed in the living room. The tree is decorated with paper roses, apples, wafers, gold leaves and sugar”).

XVIII-XIX centuries: Christmas - children's holiday

During this period, the religious symbolism of the holiday begins to recede into the background. Instead of apples, a variety of round-shaped delicacies (for example, stuffed nuts wrapped in gold or silver paper) are beginning to be used to decorate Christmas trees.

The place of the guests is now taken by gingerbread, sweets, waffles and traditional delirious (bredele, Also bredela or bradle) - Christmas cookies from gingerbread dough.

In Alsace, southern Germany and some parts of Switzerland, a special type of bredel, the so-called springerle or sprangerly ( sprengerle or springerle), which are printed aniseed cookies, most often round or heart-shaped. They are baked specifically for Christmas, and this tradition has survived to this day.

In addition to the cookies themselves, special molds for baking these sweets are sold in Alsatian cities. Ceramic relief shapes, or “stamps,” for creating a specific design on dough can be purchased in stores as souvenirs. Previously, such molds were made mainly of wood and decorated with carved scenes. Everyday life or compositions based on biblical stories. More information about traditional Alsatian sweets, souvenirs and folk crafts can be read in the article “Folk crafts, customs and traditions of Alsace" .

The specific form of sweets used to decorate the Christmas tree gradually lost importance in the 19th century and became more and more diverse. Since that time, decorating the Christmas tree and all related traditions have been considered mainly the prerogative of children. Immediately after the end of the Epiphany holiday, at the beginning of January, boys and girls are now invited to “shake” the Christmas tree and “harvest the harvest,” which little sweet tooths do with pleasure.

In the 19th century, gingerbread and bredels began to be additionally decorated with glaze, and sometimes with small colored sprinkles. Decorative pictures with various subjects are glued on top of the sugar or chocolate glaze (these were chromolithographs, most often depicting angels or stars). A small wooden fence, reminiscent of a hedge, is arranged around the trunk of the tree. front garden in front of a traditional peasant house. The space fenced off in this way symbolizes paradise lost due to the Fall of man.

Hence the word Paradiesgartlein(“Paradise Garden”), which is what this Christmas garden was called in Germany. As you can see, Christian symbolism is gradually gaining importance again.

The Christmas tree comes to France and the UK

The support that the leaders of the Reformation provided to the “Christmas tree tradition” explains the rapid spread of the Christmas tree throughout Protestant regions Northern Europe, including Germany and Scandinavian countries. Do not forget that Alsace at that time was part of German world, as well as the neighboring duchies of Lorraine and Austria. All this time, throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree in houses at Christmas was developed in all the mentioned regions.

At the end of the 19th century, after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the tradition of decorating the New Year (Christmas) tree finally came to France. The honor of spreading this tradition belongs to the residents Alsace and Lorraine, who, not wanting to become Prussians, after the annexation of their regions to Germany, decided to leave for France, the “land of human rights”, which again became a republic.

Even before this, in 1837, the German wife of the heir to the French throne, Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orleans, Lutheran Helena of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, ordered the installation of a Christmas tree in the Tuileries Garden, but then the tradition did not take root. (A century earlier, in 1738, another unsuccessful attempt to introduce the tradition of the Christmas tree at the French court was made by the wife of Louis XV, Marie Leszczynska). Only the influx of immigrants from Alsace and Lorraine predetermined the massive spread of the Christmas tree in France. (By the way, thanks to the same Alsatian settlers, the tradition quickly spread to the United States).

Today a giant christmas tree (sapin de Noel, arbre de Noel) can be seen in the central square of every major French city: in Paris and Rouen, on Stanislav Square in Nancy and on Place Kleber in the city of Strasbourg, which bears the proud name of the “capital of Christmas”. Since about the 1930s, the custom of putting up a decorated Christmas tree at Christmas has been accepted in almost all French homes.

The tradition of Christmas trees, which is typical, was also brought to Great Britain by the ubiquitous Lutherans, namely the husband of Queen Victoria Prince Albert- aka Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. On his initiative in 1841 Great Britain(more precisely, at Windsor Castle) the first Christmas tree was erected. In 1848, a photograph of the royal family gathered around a Christmas tree appeared in an English newspaper, which was soon circulated in the form of numerous postcards. Court fashion quickly spread among the bourgeoisie, and then among the common people. IN Victorian era it was believed that a Christmas tree should have six tiers of branches and be placed on a table covered with a white cloth. Then it was decorated with garlands, bonbonnieres and paper flowers.

It is curious that even before its appearance in the UK, the tradition of Christmas trees took root in Canada. And only in the 20th century this custom finally penetrated into the main Catholic countries Europe - Italy and Spain.

Christmas tree decorations of the New Age: the invention of the glass ball and other innovations

In the middle of the XIX natural products, used to decorate the Christmas tree, are beginning to be replaced with artificial ones. In 1858, a terrible drought broke out in the northern Vosges and Moselle, and the harvest of apples and other fruits was extremely poor, so local residents were unable to decorate Christmas trees with live fruits. And then glass blower from the Lorraine village of Götsanbrück ( Goetzenbruck), which is nearby Meisenthal (Meisenthal), came up with the idea of ​​making glass balls in the form of apples and other fruits. After that glass christmas tree decorations gained popularity far beyond Alsace.

Town Meisenthal(Meisenthal) in Lorraine is still famous today for the skill of its glaziers. The head of the Nancy Art School, Emile Galle, worked at this glass factory for over 20 years (from 1867 to 1894): first the designer studied with local masters, and then, having become a mature artist himself, he worked closely with the factory to create his magnificent works. Today in Meisenthal you can visit International Center for Art Glass (Center International d'Art Verrier) and get to know the work of glassblowers better. But this center is not just a museum, but a creative workshop where they regularly experiment with new modern ideas, without forgetting, of course, about traditions. One of the main types of products remains glass balls- almost the most popular Christmas tree decoration today. In addition to balls, local craftsmen make glass decorations in the form of bells, Christmas trees, cones, nuts, birds and many other images.

Besides glass balls, in the 19th century, the rich arsenal of Christmas tree decorations was replenished with numerous angels, dressed in gold or silver foil. Also, gilded spruce trees began to be often used to decorate Christmas trees. cones and stars made from gilt straw and white Bristol board (made from premium paper). Later, a tradition arose to place on the top of the tree star- a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, which showed the Magi the way to the birthplace of Christ. As an alternative, the top of the tree is sometimes decorated with a spire ( cimier oriental) or a figurine of a golden angel with a Latin inscription Gloria in Excelsis Deo("Gloria").

But the main innovation of this era was the custom of illuminating the Christmas tree with festive lights. Initially, of course, they were used for this purpose. candles- despite the risk of fire (by the way, the first person who came up with the idea of ​​decorating the Christmas tree with candles was, it is believed, Martin Luther, enchanted by the beauty of the starry sky). But since wax was quite expensive, instead of candles they often used oil-filled nutshells with a small floating wick on the surface - or flexible candles that could be wrapped around spruce branches. The illumination was not only decorative, but also symbolic, reminiscent of the birth of Christ, who is light of the world. At the beginning of the 20th century there appeared electric garlands, which at first few could afford, they were so expensive.

In the 20th century they also became widespread artificial christmas trees, which were first invented in the 19th century in Germany. Numerous fans of artificial trees today claim that they are cheaper, safer and more convenient than real trees. As for the environmental aspect, debate continues on this issue: there is no consensus on what causes more harm to nature: cutting down natural trees (the advantage of which is that they are biodegradable) or production artificial Christmas trees made of polyvinyl chloride with additives that are not always safe.

Christmas tree in Catholic countries

Only in the 20th century did the custom of decorating a Christmas tree come to the main Catholic countries of Europe - Italy and Spain. For example, in Vatican the tradition of the Christmas tree appeared only in 1982 on the initiative of John Paul II, elected pope four years earlier. At first, not all representatives of the Catholic Church approved of this custom, but gradually the tree became an integral part of Christmas celebrations in the Vatican, and today not a single Christmas is complete without a magnificent tree in St. Peter's Square in Rome.

During the reading of the prayer, the Angel of the Lord on Sunday, December 19, 2004 Pope John Paul II explained to the believers as follows the meaning and symbolism of the Christmas tree: “[...] a traditional Christmas tree is often installed next to the nativity scene - this is also a very ancient tradition associated with glorifying the value of life. In winter, this evergreen spruce becomes a symbol of immortality. It is at its trunk that gifts are usually placed. This symbol also has great Christian significance, since it recalls the Tree of Life and the image of Christ - the highest gift of God to humanity. Thus, the Christmas tree carries the message that life does not stop for a moment and that it is a gift, not material, but valuable in itself, the gift of friendship and love, brotherly mutual assistance and forgiveness, the ability to share and sympathize».

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Today there are no specific regulations regarding how a Christmas tree should be decorated. It can be a lush decoration or an ascetic, simple outfit. This can be a modern designer Christmas tree, allowing a person to express his imagination to the maximum. In any case, this evergreen tree remains a symbol of the Christmas holidays and unforgettable childhood experiences.

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Used sources .

The custom of decorating the New Year tree came to us from Germany. There is a legend that the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree was started by the German reformer Martin Luther. In 1513, returning home on Christmas Eve, Luther was fascinated and delighted by the beauty of the stars that strewn the sky so thickly that it seemed as if the crowns of the trees were sparkling with stars. At home, he put a Christmas tree on the table and decorated it with candles, and placed a star on top in memory of the Star of Bethlehem, which showed the way to the cave where Jesus was born.

It is also known that in the 16th century in Central Europe on Christmas night it was customary to place a small beech tree in the middle of the table, decorated with small apples, plums, pears and hazelnuts boiled in honey.

In the second half of the 17th century, it was already common in German and Swiss houses to complement the decoration of the Christmas meal not only with deciduous trees, but also with coniferous trees. The main thing is that it is toy size. At first, small Christmas trees were hung from the ceiling along with candies and apples, and only later the custom of decorating one large Christmas tree in the guest room was established.

In the 18th-19th centuries, the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree spread not only throughout Germany, but also appeared in England, Austria, the Czech Republic, Holland, and Denmark. In America, New Year trees also appeared thanks to German emigrants. At first, Christmas trees were decorated with candles, fruits and sweets; later, toys made of wax, cotton wool, cardboard, and then glass became a custom.

In Russia, the tradition of decorating the New Year tree appeared thanks to Peter I. Peter, who in his youth was visiting his German friends for Christmas, was pleasantly surprised to see a strange tree: it looked like a spruce, but instead of pine cones there were apples and candies on it. The future king was amused by this. Having become king, Peter I issued a decree to celebrate the New Year, as in enlightened Europe.

It prescribed: “...On large and well-traveled streets, for noble people and at houses of special spiritual and secular rank, in front of the gates, make some decorations from trees and branches of pine and juniper...”.

After the death of Peter, the decree was half forgotten, and the Christmas tree became a common New Year’s attribute only a century later.

In 1817, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich married the Prussian princess Charlotte, who was baptized in Orthodoxy under the name Alexandra. The princess convinced the court to accept the custom of decorating New Year's table bouquets of fir branches. In 1819, Nikolai Pavlovich, at the insistence of his wife, first put up a New Year's tree in the Anichkov Palace, and in 1852 in St. Petersburg, in the premises of the Ekaterininsky (now Moscow) station, a public Christmas tree was decorated for the first time.

A Christmas tree rush began in the cities: expensive Christmas tree decorations were ordered from Europe, and children's New Year's parties were held in rich houses.

The image of the Christmas tree fits well into the Christian religion. Christmas decorations, sweets and fruits symbolized the gifts brought to the little Christ. And the candles resembled the lighting of the monastery in which the Holy Family stayed. In addition, a decoration was always hung on the top of the tree, which symbolized the Star of Bethlehem, which rose with the birth of Jesus and showed the way to the Magi. As a result, the tree became a symbol of Christmas.

During the First World War, Emperor Nicholas II considered the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree to be “enemy” and categorically forbade it.

After the revolution the ban was lifted. The first public Christmas tree under Soviet rule was organized at the Mikhailovsky Artillery School on December 31, 1917 in St. Petersburg.

Since 1926, decorating a Christmas tree was already considered a crime: the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks called the custom of erecting the so-called Christmas tree anti-Soviet. In 1927, at the XV Party Congress, Stalin announced the weakening of anti-religious work among the population. An anti-religious campaign began. The 1929 party conference abolished the “Christian” Sunday: the country switched to a “six-day week”, and the celebration of Christmas was prohibited.

It is believed that the rehabilitation of the Christmas tree began with a small note in the Pravda newspaper, published on December 28, 1935. We were talking about the initiative to organize for the New Year children nice Christmas tree. The note was signed by the Second Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine Postyshev. Stalin agreed.

In 1935, the first New Year's Eve was organized children's party with a dressed up forest beauty. And on New Year's Eve 1938, a huge 15-meter tree with 10 thousand decorations and toys was erected in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions, which has since become traditional and was later called the main tree of the country. Since 1976, the main Christmas tree began to be considered the Christmas tree in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses (since 1992 - the State Kremlin Palace). Instead of Christmas, the tree began to be put up for the New Year and was called New Year's.

At first, Christmas trees were decorated in the old fashioned way with sweets and fruits. Then the toys began to reflect the era: pioneers with bugles, faces of Politburo members. During the war - pistols, paratroopers, paramedic dogs, Santa Claus with a machine gun. They were replaced by toy cars, airships with the inscription “USSR”, snowflakes with a hammer and sickle. Under Khrushchev, toy tractors, ears of corn, and hockey players appeared. Then - cosmonauts, satellites, characters from Russian fairy tales.

Nowadays, many styles of decorating the Christmas tree have appeared. The most traditional of them is decorating the Christmas tree with colorful glass toys, light bulbs and tinsel. In the last century, natural trees began to be replaced with artificial ones; some of them very skillfully imitated living spruce trees and were decorated in the usual way, others were stylized, requiring no decoration. A fashion has arisen for decorating New Year trees in a certain color - silver, gold, red, blue, and the minimalist style in Christmas tree decoration has firmly come into fashion. Only garlands of multi-colored lights have remained an invariable attribute of Christmas tree decoration, but even here, light bulbs are already being replaced by LEDs.