Pagan Eye: The St Pancras Christmas Tree

I took this photo of the Christmas tree at St Pancras Station in London. There’s a different one on the concourse each year, usually sponsored but still impressive. This one is about German Yuletide traditions and was created by the German National Tourist Office and Hilton. Plainly they want to encourage people to take the Eurostar to the country famous for seasonal markets. 

Around the base of the tree are windows displaying various folk customs. It doesn’t mention anything specifically pagan, but many of our current day festive traditions began in Germany, including decorating Christmas trees. 

It’s a common misconception that ancient pagans brought entire trees indoors to decorate at the time of the Winter Solstice. While pre-Christian customs include bringing sprigs and boughs of evergreen indoors, and also filling the hearth with a huge Yule log to burn over the longest nights, actual Christmas trees began in Germany in the 16th century. During the 17th they started decorating them with little candles – the original version of fairy lights. Glass decorative baubles date from the 19th century, and Lauscha is credited as being where they were first made. 

Christmas trees were popularised in England in by Prince Albert in 1840. He was born in Bavaria and wanted to enjoy one with Queen Victoria and their family. 

Other festive traditions that began in Germany include gingerbread houses and advent calenders. One custom that would be less familiar to us in England is the Christmas Pyramid, which the St Pancras tree is based on. Apparently this is a popular form of decoration in Saxony. 

I said this display doesn’t mention anything specifically pagan, but it does include the Rhine vinyards, which date back at least 2,000 years, and also very early recipes for mulled wine, or gluhwein.  

My Pagan Eye posts show photos that I find interesting – seasonal images, pagan sites, events, or just pretty pictures. If you want to send me a photo for a Pagan Eye post, please email it to [email protected] Let me know what the photo shows and whether you want your name mentioned or not. For copyright reasons, the photo must be one you have taken yourself.

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