The Christmas tree is known as a symbol of life and is the most well-known holiday symbol. Traditions surrounding the holiday tree has been around since ancient times. Trees were used to honor spirits and gods during pagan festivals, Vikings saw the evergreen as a reminder that the darkness of winter would soon end and bring the green of spring and at the Saturnalia festival, the Romans decorated trees with candles and trinkets.

One legend has it that St. Boniface, an English monk, came upon a group of pagans circling an oak tree and were ready to sacrifice a child to one of their gods. St. Boniface flatened the oak tree with one blow and a tiny fir tree grew in its place. St. Boniface told the pagans that this was the Tree of Life and stood for eternal life in Christ.

Another legend has a poor woodsman taking in a child and providing food and shelter for the night. The child turned out to be the Christ child, who rewarded the woodsman with a beautiful glittering tree outside his door.

Another legend tells of Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant religion, walking through the woods late one night. As it was clear, many stars were shining through the branches of the trees giving the impression of twinkling lights. Luther was so inspired by the beauty of the sight that he cut down a small evergreen and brought it home. He recreated the stars by putting candles on the tree's branches.

The use of a Christmas tree indoors appears to have begun in Germany. German Christians would bring trees into their homes to decorate. In some areas evergreen trees were scarce so the families would build a Christmas pyramid, simple wooden structures which they decorated with branches and candles.

The tradition of the Christmas tree eventually spread through out Europe. The English Royalty help popularize the tree in England by decorating the first Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1841. Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, decorated the first English Christmas Tree with candles, candies, fruits, and gingerbread.

When the German immigrants went to American they also brought along their Christmas trees. In the 1830's most Americans still considered the Christmas tree an oddity. One of the first public displays of a Christmas tree was set up by German Settlers in Pennsylvania. At the time many still considered the tree to be a symbol of pagans and it wasn't until the late 1800's that Americans began accepting the Christmas tree.

Several legends claim the fir is one of the trees from the garden of Eden. One says the fir is the Tree of Life whose leaves shrank into tiny needles when Eve plucked the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Tree of Life did not bloom again until the night Christ was born.

Another legend claims that Adam carried a twig of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil with him from the garden. This twig later became the fir which was used for the Christmas tree and the Holy Cross.

By the 1890s Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and the place of the Christmas tree had been secured. In keeping with our reputation for bigger and better, Europeans used small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas trees to reach from floor to ceiling.

Thomas Edison's assistants came up with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees.