Are Christmas Trees Orthodox?
We are now preparing to celebrate the Nativity of Christ, so this is a timely question. It’s generally thought that the tradition of decorating Christmas trees originated in sixteenth century Germany - there doesn't seem to be any mention of them in early Orthodox sources. However, it’s important to remember that the Orthodox Church is not a museum, but a living organism - the Body of Christ. The Church, therefore, does not hold that everything old is to be preferred over anything new. Some ancient traditions have fallen into disuse for pastoral or practical reasons, meanwhile new icons are painted, and hymns and prayers written to newly glorified saints. Many Orthodox families put up a Christmas tree at home, and some churches do too. Tsar Nicholas 1 imported the tradition into Russia in the early nineteenth century, and from that time decorating the Christmas tree became part of the Russian Royal Family's Christmas tradition. The Russian Royal Martyrs, Olga, Maria, Tatiana