For many people, the Christmas tree is the central focus point of Christmas within the home and for the centre of a town or city. One of the best-known of the latter stands in Trafalgar Square when every year a magnificent fir tree is shipped over from Oslo, as a gift from the people of Norway in gratitude for the help given to them by Britain in the Second World War. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York is another major focal point.
Although fir and pine trees are most commonly used today, it was the oak tree that was once the tree of the winter solstice. The ancient Celts revered oak trees at Yule, as it was the Oak King who triumphed over the Holly King to bring in the new year. The wood from oak trees was traditionally used for Yule logs that lit the sacred fires. In Britain, the surname-turned-first name Oakley means "oak clearing." Alon, Allon, Elon and the feminised Alona are Hebrew names that derive from אַלּוֹן (alon) "oak." Other masculine "oak" names include Ąžuolas in Lithuanian and Dubravko "oak grove" in Serbian; while Ametza is a feminine Basque name.
The use of Christmas trees as we know it today originates from Germany. One of the earliest legends from the 7th century tells of how British-born St Boniface went to Germany as a Christian missionary. One day he cut down an oak tree that was being used in pagan worship and was amazed to see a fir tree spring up in its place; taking its triangular shape to represent the Holy Trinity. Thus, we have a neat metaphor that explains the move to fir trees, and conveniently condenses the transition from Pagan tradition to Christian.
The Georgian monarchs brought Christmas trees over to Britain from their native Germany, but the practice of decorating trees inside the home did not become popular until the reign of Queen Victoria, when, in 1848, the Royal family were depicted in the Illustrated London News standing with their children around a Christmas tree.
Fir, pine, cedar or spruce are now the most common trees used at Christmas. Some popular varieties include Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir, Deodara Ceder, Ponderosa Pine and Virginia Pine. We can also look to other cultures for equivalent etymological meaning:
Fir - Eglė is a Lithuanian feminine name, while Jelka, Jela, and Jelika are Slavic.
Pine - Oren, Orna and Oranit derive from the Hebrew אורן (oren), while Bor is a Slavic masculine name, and Pinja is a Finnish feminine name. The Germanic surname Kiefer is thought to mean "pine tree."
Cedar - Erez is a Hebrew masculine name and Tuija is a Finnish girls name.
Hebrew also gives us Ilan, a literary word meaning "tree" used as a masculine name with Ilana and Ilanit as feminine forms.
Forest and wood-themed names provide further inspiration. Just a few include Barclay, Basajaun, Boyce, Elwood, Forrest, Moriko, Oihana, Roscoe, Silas, Silvia, Silvester, Vidar, Vipin, Woody and Xylon.
