O Christmas Tree Printable Lyrics, Origins, and Video (2024)

FAQs

What is the English translation of o tannenbaum? ›

"O Tannenbaum" (German: [oː ˈtanənbaʊm]; "O fir tree"), known in English as "O Christmas Tree", is a German Christmas song. Based on a traditional folk song that was unrelated to the holiday, it became associated with the traditional Christmas tree.

Evergreens were also used as a sign of eternal life by early Christians in catacombs under Rome. But until the mid-19th century, Christians viewed the Christmas tree as a foreign pagan custom. Pagans would bring fir trees into their homes at Yuletide because it represented everlasting life and fertility.

First appearing in 1933 at Belhaven University, they later made their debut indoors at West High School in Denver, Colorado, and then in 1957 in Sacramento, California. Since then, the singing Christmas tree concept has spread to Canada, the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland and Sri Lanka.

The modern Christmas tree originated in Germany, where families set up a paradise tree in their homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the Eucharistic host, the Christian sign of redemption).

The German Christmas tree, known as Tannenbaum or Weihnachtsbaum, was recorded to be used as a central décor of Christmas by the southern Germans. It is widely believed that Martin Luther (1483-1546), a 16^th century German protestant, was the first to start the Christmas tree tradition.

Anschütz penned a considerably less edgy and more famous set of lyrics, describing a tannenbaum as a symbol of endurance throughout the winter. The original lyrics have absolutely no references to Christmas, but instead use the evergreen as a symbol of faithfulness and hope through the cold German winters.

Origin and meaning of decorating Christmas Tree

With time people started to decorate trees in their houses although it was not accepted by the Catholic Church right from the beginning. It was caused by the fact that decorating Christmas tree was taken from pagans and was considered as magic ritual and witchcraft.

The custom was developed in Central Europe, particularly Germany and Livonia (now Estonia and Latvia), where Protestant Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. The tree was traditionally decorated with "roses made of colored paper, apples, wafers, tinsel, [and] sweetmeats".

In Christianity, Christmas tree is symbolic of birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The tree's branches and shrubs are viewed as an emblem of immortality and are said to symbolize the crown of thorns worn by Christ on the cross.

Traditional Norway Spruce (Picea Abies)

Norway Spruce is the traditional Christmas tree which has been popular since Victoria times with short and thin, varying bright and deep green pointed needles.

What does a Christmas tree symbolize? ›

For many, the Christmas tree represents Jesus Christ's birth and resurrection. The tree branches and bushes are regarded as a sign of immortality and are thought to represent Christ's crown of thorns on the crucifixion.

The first time the birth of Jesus Christ was attributed to the date December 25 was in the 4th century, according to early Roman history. Early celebrations of Christmas are thought to have derived from Roman and other European festivals that marked the end of the harvest, and the winter solstice.

But for many, many Christians, Christmas is a wonderful celebration of the birth of Christ. We celebrate this day in honor of our Savior. Honoring God does not hang on making “the right” decision about whether or not to celebrate Christmas. It is a matter of the heart.

The decorating of Christmas trees is now associated with the spirit of giving and receiving gifts, embracing the holiday season, and eternal life. Romans: In Roman culture, evergreen trees symbolized light. Romans decorated their houses and temples with evergreen trees to mark the celebration of Saturnalia.

But the real origins of Christmas trees appear to be rooted in present-day Germany during the Middle Ages. In 1419, a guild in Freiburg put up a tree decorated with apples, flour-paste wafers, tinsel and gingerbread.

O Tannenbaum, which literally translates to “O fir tree,” is a combination of the tune from an old German folksong “Es lebe hoch der Zimmermannsgeselle” (“Long live the carpenter's apprentice”), and words penned in 1824 by Ernst Anschütz, a Leipzig schoolmaster, based on a 16th-century Silesian folk song by Melchior ...

noun. Weihnachtsbaum m , Christbaum m (esp S Ger)

“O Christmas Tree” – “O Tannenbaum” This is just one of at least a dozen English versions of this traditional German song, dating back about 500 years – long before it was considered a Christmas carol. (A Tannenbaum is a fir tree.)

The French word for Christmas tree is 'le sapin de Noël. ' While the French word for tree is l'arbre, the French use sapin to describe a Christmas tree.