SATURNALIA
Saturnalia, the jolliest ancient Roman holiday, celebrated winter solstice rituals. The festival was held to honor Saturn and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order.
Wars were interrupted or postponed, grudges and quarrels were forgotten, and businesses, courts, and schools were closed. Slaves did not have to work and could participate in the festivities; in some cases, they sat at the head of the table and were served by their masters!
Homes were decorated with wreaths, wax taper candles called cerei were given to signify light returning after the solstice, and on the last day of Saturnalia, many Romans gave their friends and loved ones small gifts.
Origins of the Christmas Tree
No one is actually sure how the tradition of the Christmas tree began, but going back through history, a plausible picture leading to the Christmas tree we know today is painted. The use of plants in the home for religious celebrations can be traced all the way back to the ancient Egyptians and their worship of the sun god, Ra. At the summer solstice, the Egyptians brought green palm rushes into their homes to celebrate Ra’s recovery from the dark winter, and as symbols of the triumph of life over death in Egypt and the world.
Centuries later, the ancient Romans also used greenery for religious celebrations. They had a feast called the Saturnalia for the summer solstice, in honor of the god Saturn, who was also the god of agriculture. To celebrate the coming of fields full of produce, they decorated their homes for the feast with branches from evergreen trees.
Later, in northern Europe, the Celtic Druid priests often decorated their temples with evergreen tree branches as symbols of eternal life. Vikings believed their sun god, Balder, was especially fond of and protective of evergreen plants and trees.
As can be seen, there is a clear and consistent use of greenery, particularly evergreen greenery, in people’s homes throughout human history. These are just some examples we know about. There are likely quite a few others.
So, there is an established history of green plants and religious ceremonies, and the Christmas tree fits naturally into that. The question of when Christmas trees first became a “thing” is a little murkier. It is known that about 1,000 years ago, the people of northern Europe used to hang fir trees upside down from their ceilings during the Christmas season, but the reason why they did so is not clear.
During the Middle Ages, northern Europe continued with the “plants at Christmas” tradition by bringing cherry and hawthorn plants inside in pots with the hope they would flower for Christmas. The people who couldn’t afford to buy plants made pyramids out of wood and decorated them to look like trees adorned with apples, candles, and paper.