The modern Christmas tree tradition is most strongly associated with Germany , but its earliest roots also trace back to the historic region of Livonia (today’s Estonia and Latvia).

Who “started” the Christmas tree?

Historians generally point to Central Europe in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance as the birthplace of the Christmas tree custom.

Two key points often appear in discussions about which country started the Christmas tree :

  • Germany
    • The modern, indoor, decorated Christmas tree as a family custom is most clearly documented among German Lutherans in the 16th century.
* By the 1500s and 1600s, Germans were bringing evergreen trees inside and decorating them with items like apples, wafers, and later candles, making Germany the main source of the tradition that spread worldwide.
  • Livonia (Estonia & Latvia today)
    • Records mention festive trees in the cities of Tallinn (Estonia) and Riga (Latvia) in the 1400s–1500s, where merchant guilds such as the Brotherhood of Blackheads put up and decorated trees in town squares.
* Riga in particular is often cited for the **first written record of a decorated Christmas tree** around 1510.

So what’s the simplest answer?

If you need a quick, straightforward reply to “which country started the Christmas tree?” the most common historical answer is:

Germany started the modern Christmas tree tradition , with earlier public tree customs also recorded in what is now Estonia and Latvia.

Why people argue about it

Because medieval records are patchy and multiple cities claim “first tree” honors, different sources highlight different places.

Modern discussions and quizzes usually give Germany as the answer, but history-focused articles increasingly mention Tallinn and Riga to show how regional and shared the origin really was.

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