In the 11th Century, during Advent, followers presented scenes that they called Mysteries, including that of Paradise. Often, a spruce tree adorned with red apples was used to symbolize the tree of Paradise. It is in the 12th century that the Christmas tree tradition began in Europe, in Alsace. In the beginning houses were decorated with branches that were cut 3 days before Christmas. Some even put up trees in their houses on December 24th, the day of the birthday of Adam and Eve, canonized by oriental churches. But the name Christmas tree only came about later in Alsace around 1521. At the time, the church still considered the Christmas tree as a Pagan and freemason practice. And it was truly the case until the middle of the 20th century.

In 1521 that it was called a Christmas tree or tree of Christ for the first time in Alsace. Certain documents also exist mentioning a celebration on December 24th 1510 in Riga in Latvia at which merchants danced around a tree decorated with artificial roses and then burning it.

In 1546, we really begin to speak of Christmas trees when the city of Selestat in Alsace authorized the chopping of green trees for Christmas, on the night of Saint Thomas on December 21st. Symbol of the virgin, roses were part of the ornaments decorating the Christmas tree in Alsace in the 16th century, in addition to apples, candy and little cakes resembling hosts. Later, a star was added to the treetop, symbol of the star of Bethlehem that guided the three Magi Kings. After this the tradition spread to Protestant communities in Northern Germany and the big cities and began to occupy an important place in the churches of both religions.

In 1560, at the time of the Reform, the Protestants refused to use the nativity scene to represent the birth of Jesus as the Catholics did. They preferred to develop the tradition of the Christmas tree, to symbolize the paradise of Adam and Eve and the knowledge of right and wrong. The tradition of the Christmas tree spread to Protestant European countries, Germany and Scandinavia.