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| Christmas Trees outside London offices |
Christmas trees
were first introduced to Britain from Germany. Queen Victoria’s husband Prince
Albert recreated the Christmas trees of his childhood at Windsor Castle. A drawing
of the decorated tree featured in Illustrated London News in 1848.
There was no
looking back. The Victorians copied the Royal Family and decorated trees in
their homes too. The German custom became a British one.
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| Christmas Tree outside Houses of Parliament |
While there is no
doubt that the custom came to Britain from Germany, both Latvia and Estonia
claim to be the origin of the first Christmas tree. Some sources suggest that
the first Christmas tree appeared in both Riga and Tallinn in 1510. Accounts passed
down through oral history means that we may never be able to determine the
exact truth.
Northern Europe is undoubtedly the origin of the Christmas tree. It was Germany that spread
its decoration customs throughout the world.
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| Decorated Christmas Tree at Somerset House |
Although Christmas trees are associated with the Christian festival today, their origins are in pagan celebrations of the Winter Solstice.
Christmas in Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
is at London’s heart. It is central to British democracy and the right to freedom of expression. In 2015, it witnessed British solidarity with the French
over the tragic events in Paris.
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| Norway's 2015 Christmas Tree Gift in Trafalgar Square |
Every year the people of Norway give a
Christmas tree to the people of Britain in recognition of British support for
their nation during the Second World War. It is therefore fitting that this
annual gift is displayed in Trafalgar Square. This year’s tree appears in the
photo above.
There are also numerous brightly-lit Christmas trees throughout
the capital.
It is not just the
German Christmas tree tradition that Britain has taken to heart. The number of
German Christmas markets seem to increase throughout the capital and the rest
of the United Kingdom with every passing year.
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| German Christmas Market Banner on London's South Bank |
Winter Wonderland is a fabulous annual Christmas market in Hyde Park.
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| Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland Christmas Market |
This year, I visited the German Christmas market outside the Tate Modern on the South Bank. One stall there even had a Christmas tree on top.
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| Tree on top of German Christmas Market |
Outside or inside,
real or artificial, big or small… Christmas today is unthinkable without the
custom brought to Britain by a German Prince.
Where is the best decorated Christmas tree that you have seen this year?
Frohe Weihnachten! Merry Christmas!
Where is the best decorated Christmas tree that you have seen this year?
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