The story of the Christmas tree begins with the ancient use of evergreens in midwinter. Long before Christmas existed, people in ancient Egypt, China and among the Hebrews used evergreen plants as symbols of enduring life during the darkest months of the year. Across pre-Christian Europe, evergreens decorated homes and barns, part of long-standing seasonal customs linked to tree worship. When Christianity spread, these older traditions did not vanish but merged into new religious practices, giving a familiar structure to winter feasts Diarmuid Gavin brings us the interesting story of the Christmas tree.
