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The Christmas Tree: Coburg's Secret Connection to British Tradition!
Discover the origins of the Christmas tree in England and the role of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria of Coburg.
The Christmas Tree: Coburg's Secret Connection to British Tradition!
The origin of the Christmas tree and its spread to England are the subject of heated debate. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is often seen as the person who introduced the tradition into British culture in 1840 through his marriage to Queen Victoria. Today's Christmas tree in front of the Rockefeller Center in New York is an impressive result of this tradition. A picture showing the royal family around a festively decorated tree and published in 1848 The Illustrated London News was published is considered a key moment that promoted the widespread awareness of the custom. However, Dirk Bratschedl from the Meiningen Tourist Information is of the opinion that the traditions of Queen Victoria's aunt, Adelheid from Meiningen, were much more responsible. Even as a child, she celebrated Christmas with a festive tree.
The dispute over the Christmas tree tradition
Although Prince Albert is often credited with implementing the custom, historians such as Andrea Jakob make it clear that he was not the only reason why the Christmas tree became popular in British culture. The custom had already been established among the German nobility, with Viktoria's ancestors having a decisive influence. Albert himself declared decorating the Christmas tree to be a matter close to his heart, thereby bringing a breath of fresh air into the Victorian Christmas tradition. When the image appeared in 1848, a veritable wave of imitation began in England, which led to the rapid popularity of the Christmas tree throughout British society Schloesserblog reported.
Over time, more and more households decorated their homes with Christmas trees, and the custom even made its way to America. The Christmas customs they represent are deeply rooted in traditions, health, life and hope. So the connection between German tradition and British Christmas celebrations remains strong, even if authorship remains controversial.