The holiday tradition of the Christmas tree has been a strong staple in Western cultures, having originated in Germany during the 16th century. However, the Czech Republic didn’t quickly adopt the festive tree until the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Czech’s larger cities began incorporating the Christmas tree into their holiday traditions, Prague being the first city to have them in 1812.

Before adopting the Christmas tree to their holiday traditions the Czech Republic would instead use conifer branches or decorated evergreen branches that would be hung upside down over the dinner table.

The adoption of the Christmas tree in the Czech countryside came at a later date as they had viewed the Christmas holiday and traditions tied to the birth of Jesus. Because of this view, they saw the adoption of the Christmas tree as foreign in their lands, and took a while before they started to incorporate the Christmas tree into their households.

Eventually, in the second half of the 19th century, the Christmas tree soon became a part of the Czech Republic's holiday traditions. During this time period, families would decorate their trees with pastries, fruit, candies, paper chains, and knitted decorations on the morning of December 24th. Even though it was a different era the food that was on the tree was not allowed to be eaten as it is in today’s time with popcorn chains and candy canes being hung for decoration on the tree only.

At night once family diners had finished, families would gather together around the tree and start to shake the branches until the pastries, fruit, or candies fell down. These sweets would be the presents that would await the children. In today’s modern time presents are left under the tree but it is not Santa who leaves the gifts but baby Jesus who visits households leaving presents for good children.

The Czech's adoption of the Christmas tree has undergone various changes and revamps from the tree being seen as unpatriotic to decorated branches being hung on the ceiling to presents being left by baby Jesus.

All of this shows the unique history of how the Czech Republic came to incorporate the Christmas tree into their holiday festivities which has led to the creation of the country’s own traditions that are forever tied to the Christmas tree. Currently, the Christmas tree can be seen present throughout households in the Czech Republic.

Written by Elizabeth Arebalo

Sources:

“History and Present of Christmas Tree in Czech Republic.” Czechlogy. 18, Dec. 2021. https://www.czechology.com/history-and-present-of-christmas-tree-in-czech-republic/

“Public Christmas Trees: A bittersweet Story.” Flying Golem. 7, Dec. 2018. https://flyinggolem.cz/2018/12/07/public-christmas-trees-a-bittersweet-story/

“History of Christmas Trees.” History. 28, Nov. 2023. https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees

“10 Czech Christmas Traditions That Surely Aren’t Real (But They Totally Are!).” CityScape Bliss. 24, Dec. 2016. https://cityscape-bliss.com/2016/12/strange-czech-christmas-traditions.html