Germany is most commonly credited with starting the modern Christmas tree tradition, especially the practice of bringing an evergreen tree into the home and decorating it for Christmas in the 16th century.

Where the tradition began

Most historians trace the origin of the Christmas tree to German-speaking regions of Central Europe during the Renaissance. German Lutherans were using decorated evergreen trees in their Christmas celebrations by the 1500s, sometimes with candles, apples, and other ornaments.

Some Baltic cities, especially Riga in present-day Latvia, are often mentioned because of early records of decorated trees in public squares. However, these are usually seen as precursors, while the fully developed home Christmas tree custom is still primarily associated with Germany.

Why Germany gets the credit

  • Written records link decorated Christmas trees with German Lutheran households in the 16th century.
  • The custom spread across Europe largely through German influence, including to Britain via German-born royals in the 18th and 19th centuries.
  • Many reference works and encyclopedias explicitly state that the tradition “originated in Germany,” even while noting earlier related practices elsewhere.

Quick note on debates

There is some debate involving Latvia and Estonia, which point to 15th–16th century records of decorated trees in public festivities. These are important historical roots, but when people ask “which country is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition?”, Germany is the country most widely named in modern historical summaries.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.