Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - December 13, 1998
By Jan Buffington
Vigo County Historical Society

Trees remind us of eternal life, beauty of the season

Just when a tree was first used for Christmas is not known. Some records give credit to St. Winifred, the eighth-century missionary to Scandinavia, other historians credit St. Boniface with this same story. After witnessing a gathering of Druid pagans in a forest under a great oak tree to offer human sacrifices, he courageously cut down the oak. It is said that from the stump, a young fir tree appeared. The saint proclaimed the fir tree holy, saying it was a symbol of endless life because its leaves are green all year. He directed the Druids to "Take up the fir tree and carry it to the chieftains hall. You shall go no more into the forest to keep your feasts with secret rites of shame. You shall keep them at home with laughter and songs and rites of love, gathered round the fir tree to rejoice in the birth night of the Christ."

Martin Luther has the honor of being credited with decorating the first Christmas tree. On Christmas Eve he saw evergreens glistening with snow against a starry sky. To share the beauty, he cut one down, brought it inside and decorated it with lighted candles to show his family the glory and beauty of the pine trees he had seen.

Hessian soldiers who fought the British in our Revolutionary War brought the Christmas tree custom to the United States. Immigrants from Germany, Austria and Scandinavia had Christmas trees, too. They decorated them with homemade ornaments, cookies, fruit, nuts, small gifts and candles.

A young clergyman, the Rev. Harry Schwan, created quite a stir when he brought a lighted fir tree into his church, Zion Church in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1851. His act was declared "sacrilegious," "plain idolatry," and "groveling before shrubs." But he read this passage from Isaiah to justify his actions. "The Glory of Lebanon shall come unto you, the fir, the pine and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary." Still, lighted Christmas trees were not use extensively in churches until the latter part of the 19th century.

Today, no matter whether we use live or artificial trees, they are an expression of the beauty of Christmas and a reminder of eternal life.

The Historical Museum has many decorated trees. From the feather tree in the Victorian Parlor to the elegant tree in the main exhibit room, and all the others in between, you will be treated to a special Christmas display that will fill you with wonder and delight in this festive holiday season.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.