You see Christmas trees being brought into houses and decorated every year... but do you ever question why and how it started? While we don't know exactly how this tradition started, we do have a few ideas of how it was shaped to be the staple of Christmas decor.
Centuries ago, the evergreen trees were outside while (Pagan and Christian) winter festivals were held. Then, the evergreen fir tree was traditionally used to celebrate outdoor winter festivals for years in the future. Pagans often used branches of the trees to decorate their homes during the winter solstice, because it made them think of the upcoming spring season.
The tree going into the home tradition as we know it today is believed to have begun in Germany during the 16th century by preacher Martin Luther. The story is that one night before Christmas, Luther was taking a walk and looked up at the night sky to see stars shining beyond pine trees. He thought the sight was so beautiful that he took the tree home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus. Martin and his family hung candles around the tree as decorations because Jesus was the light of the world- which would also explain why we hang string lights from our trees.
Around the mid- 1800's a newspaper released an illustration of Queen Victoria and her family standing around a tree inside their home. The publication was in the London News named "The Queen's Christmas Tree at Windsor Castle". Historically, this was the first time a tree inside the home was published to the public that we know of. The 'Royal Tree' then became very fashionable and popular throughout the UK and USA. The tradition of bringing a tree into your home during Christmas time because of these influences remains.