The history of an angel atop a tree go out back to the very first Christmas — plus , the import of tinsel .
If you celebrate Christmas , you ’ve likely seen people top theirChristmas treeswith cosmetic angels . But have you ever wondered why we do this or how it becamea Christmas tradition ? And why an backer , and not just another ornament ?
The History of Putting Angels at the Top of Christmas Trees
Kirsty Lee / EyeEm / Getty Images
It turn out , this recitation comes from the original Christmas write up . saint act a pregnant part in the first Christmas : Angels visited Joseph and the Virgin Mary about the upcoming birth of Jesus , and on the nighttime of his birth , angels appeared in the sky over Bethlehem to announce his comer to the world .
Angels and Stars
Because angels appear high in the sky on the first Christmas , people start localize saint high up on the top of their trees as a way to celebrate the giving birth of Jesus . If you ’ve ever seen a virtuoso on top of a Christmas tree , there ’s a similar significance : accord to the Christmas write up , in addition to angels , the star of Bethlehem ( also called the Christmas star ) appear in the sky to run people to infant Jesus .
Because there is so much religious meaning in this tradition , it ’s been thought that placing an angel on top of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ( and therefore declaring the family line ’s faith ) would also scare away evil spirits from the rest home around the holidays .
Various Materials
While it ’s not certain on the nose when this custom started , we do make out it date back several hundred class . It ’s allege that the very first angels were homemade ornament ( commonly made from natural , inexpensive cloth like straw ) . By the seventeenth C , Europeans were make spyglass angel ornament , which eventually became the full - size backer that sit on the top of the tree .
Tree Toppers Today
Today , it ’s still coarse to put an saint at the top of your Christmas tree — but people also use other symbols as tree toppers , including stars . Other popular tree topper idea that are n’t explicitly connect with the Christian Christmas story include medallion , Christmas gnomes , snowman , reindeer , snowflakes , Santas , and other wintery or Christmas symbols .
Use wire or twist ties to add stability to a tree diagram topper .
Whether you top it with an holy man or a ace , take a moment to chew over on the history of this tradition as youdecorate your own Christmas treethis season .
Credit:Kirsty Lee / EyeEm / Getty Images
Hopler , Whitney . “The History of Christmas Tree Angels . “Learn Religions . Feb. 8 , 2021 .
