Christmas tree festivals in churches are a relatively modern tradition, emerging as an extension of the historical use of Christmas trees and their symbolism within Christian celebrations.
The custom of decorating Christmas trees in Germany began as early as the 16th century, when trees were adorned with items like apples, nuts, and paper decorations, often reflecting Christian themes such as the Tree of Life or the Paradise Tree used in medieval plays. This practice gradually evolved and spread to other countries, popularised further in the 19th century by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in England.
Hilary Morfitt and the wife of the Rector Paul White, Vivienne, wanted to bring the tradition of a Christmas tree festival to Rye St Mary’s. Hilary explains how it happened. “A little more than twelve months ago Father Paul mused to Vivienne and me that it would be ‘quite nice’ to have a Christmas tree festival at St Mary’s. He and Vivienne had had a similar event at their previous church, and my former church in Brighton had run one very successfully for quite a few years. So, with the proposed event at least one year away, Vivienne and I agreed happily to organise the inaugural Christmas tree festival at St Mary’s. Fast forward to July 2024 and plans were formalised in my garden over homemade pizza and fizz in the warmth of a summer’s evening. We decided that, above all, we would like this to be a celebration of our community in Rye and environs and that it would bring light and Christmas cheer into the church for most of the month of December.
“We drew up some plans and made some flyers to advertise the event around the local community. We had no idea at this time whether we would have a handful of trees or if there would be more interest. The advertising began slowly, with Vivienne and I going round from shop to shop to drum up some interest.
“The Chamber of Commerce offered to advertise for us among their members and then kindly offered us sponsorship which enabled us to advertise more widely on social media and create some lovely posters. So fast forward again to Sunday December 1 and the church glows with twenty-eight beautiful, individual trees which tell the story of an artistic and imaginative town and community.
“We are so delighted and grateful to all those who have been able to get involved this year and we already have plans afoot for little extras for next year. We would love to double our number of trees next year and we promise to do our best to keep every business and society informed so that no one misses out. Watch this space for further information!”
Image Credits: Kt bruce .
What a lovely idea! I cant wait to come and see them
It is a splendid idea. The variety of trees is delightful, so congratulations to everyone involved for bringing this festival to fruition.