The festive evergreen standing proudly in our homes each December boasts a history far richer and more ancient than many realise. Its story winds back through centuries, from Roman festivals to Scandinavian churches, before becoming the centrepiece of British Christmas celebrations.
Roots in Roman Saturnalia and Christ's Thorn
The tradition of decorating homes with greenery during the winter period finds its earliest documented origins in the Roman feast of Saturnalia. This week-long celebration, beginning on 17 December, was dedicated to Saturn, one of Italy's oldest gods. Described as a time of "unrestrained disorder and misrule," it was also a period of goodwill: courts closed, business halted, and no punishments were served. Crucially, people adorned their homes and temples with evergreens and exchanged gifts, including clay dolls for children, in a temporary society that ignored social rank.
With the advent of the Christian era, holly, known as 'Christ's-thorn' in Germany and Scandinavia, became a primary decoration. However, botanical historians note the true "Christ’s-thorn" (Paliurus Spina-Christi) is a shrub native to southern and western Asia, growing up to 10 to 15 feet tall and cultivatable in well-drained British garden soil.
The Rise of the Norway Spruce
Where children are present, the Christmas tree inevitably vies for top decorative honour. While many firs and pines are used, the most popular species is the Norway spruce (Picea excelsa). Evidence suggests it is one of Britain's oldest trees, present in the remote tertiary geological period. After disappearing, it was reintroduced around the 16th century.
This tree dominates landscapes across Europe. It is the chief forest tree in the higher regions of Germany and Switzerland, found at altitudes up to 8,500 feet, and predominates in Swedish forests and along Norway's fjords. Russia hosts vast forests of it. In Britain, it reaches a graceful 80 feet, though in more favourable climates it can double that height.
Its uses are remarkably varied. Beyond providing our Christmas trees, it supplies masts for small vessels, scaffolding, flooring, and telegraph poles. It is a key source of resin, pitch, and critically, wood pulp for newsprint. In Lapland and Bothnia, its long roots are crafted into string and rope. In a charming Norwegian tradition, its fragrant branches are strewn over the floors of houses and churches as substitutes for carpets.
From Norwegian Fjords to London's Heart
The Norway spruce holds a special place in Anglo-Norwegian relations. A giant fir has been presented annually to the people of London by the people of Oslo, Norway, since 1953, standing proudly as the famous Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square.
Beyond festive use, the spruce and its varieties have significant horticultural value. They serve as excellent screening and sheltering plants in gardens. Some, like Pe Argenteospica and Finedonensis, are treasured for striking creamy-white young shoots. Dwarf varieties are perfect for rock gardens, such as Pe Clanbrassiliana—which mysteriously appeared in an Irish garden and grows less than three feet in 30 years—and Gregoryana, which adds a mere quarter-inch of growth annually.
Other attractive species include the weeping West Himalayan spruce (Picea Morinda) and the Serbian spruce (Picea omorika), with its silver-marked foliage that thrives even in urban gardens. These trees, like their festive counterpart, are easily grown in well-drained, ordinary garden loam.
From its pagan beginnings to its symbolic role in modern Christmas, the tree's journey is a testament to enduring tradition and cross-cultural exchange. Its branches, whether adorning a living room, carpeting a Norwegian church, or towering over Trafalgar Square, continue to weave a fragrant thread through our winter celebrations.
