Figure 1.-- Here we see a Christmas tree in an affluent family in the late-1920s. Most Americans did not have a tree as large as this, but it was a rate family that did not have a tree of some kind.

The Christmas tree is one of the most beloved Christmas traditions in America. It of course has European origns, even pre-Christian Celtic and German origins. It is not entirely clear how the Christmas tree became such an important American trrdition. It was not a tradition in early colonial America. The Puritans did not approve of Christmas at all, let alone frivolities like Christmas trees. Other Protestant groyps in the north did not have Christms trees or Anglicans in the south. Nor do we note Christmas trees popular among the Scotts-Irish in the backwoods. lthough not well documented, it must have been German immigrants beginning in the 18th century that brought the Christmas tree to America. I am not sure about the earliest recorded Christmas tree. Many sources mention the German Moravian Church's settlement in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania as having the first Christmas tree (1747). The German Hessian Soldiers fighting for the Crown in the Revoutinary war are often cited (as having Christmas trees 1770s). Many Hessians stayed in America after the War. Almost surely there were Christmas trees in America before the Hessians. Grmans began arriving in America much earlier (throughout the 18th century). And the Germans were the largest immigrant group (19th century). We are not sure, however, to what extent the German tradition spread to other Americans by the beginning of the 19th century. One account describes a Christmas tree set up by American soldiers at Fort Dearborn, Illinois, the site of modern Chicago (1804). As farcas we can tell, however, it was largely a German tradition until the mid-19th century. This changed when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert, a German prince. Prince Albert apparently introduced a Christmas tree to Windsor Castle for their young children (1834). There may have been Christmas trees in England earlier, but it was Victoria and Albert and their young family that ppularized the Christmas tree in England. The British were very infuential in America. Despite considrabe antiBritish feeling in the United States, British fashions and cultural tradituins were very important uin America. As the Christmas tree became popular in Britain, the Christmas tree evolved from a quaint German tradition to a a widely accepted American traditions. A first it was adopted in fashionable Easern cities. Mark Carr is cresited with binging trees from the Catskills to New York, opening the first retail Christmas tree lot (1851). It was not long before there were Christnas trees in the most remote corner of America. Franklin Pierce was the first president to have a White House Christmas tree (1856). He apparently put one up for a Washington Sunday School group. By the end of the 19th century, only American familes in abject poverty did not have a family Christmas tree. Even many Jewish families had them. The first national Christmas Tree was lighted on the White House lawn by President Calvin Coolidge (1923). Americanization

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries] [Topics]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]

Created: 8:07 AM 2/28/2008
Last updated: 8:07 AM 2/28/2008