Fashion has always played a central role in holiday celebrations, from timeless little black dresses to whimsical, tacky sweaters and the excitement of shopping for new festive outfits.
Yet some Christmas fashion trends stand out as especially curious—like the fascination during the Edwardian and Titanic eras with dressing up as Christmas trees.
During this period, Christmas trees were far from the polished and coordinated displays seen today.
Instead, they were adorned with handmade ornaments, abundant tinsel, and, for those who could afford them, a scattering of electric lights—though these were a luxury reserved for businesses or the wealthiest households.
It’s easy to imagine that, with trees being such lively and creative focal points of the season, people found a way to embody that festive spirit quite literally—by transforming themselves into Christmas trees.
What began as a quirky idea seemed to catch on among people of all ages, from small children to grown women. Much like today’s “ugly sweater” contests, the charm of these costumes lay in their oddity.
The more eccentric and over-the-top the outfits, the more they embraced the playful, festive atmosphere of the holiday season.
The modern Christmas tree has its roots in Central Europe and the Baltic states, particularly in regions such as Estonia, Germany, and Livonia (now Latvia) during the Renaissance period in early modern Europe.
Its origins in the 16th century are often linked to the Protestant Reformation, with some accounts crediting reformer Martin Luther as the first to add lighted candles to an evergreen tree.
German Lutherans are recorded as using Christmas trees as early as the 16th century, with one notable instance in 1539 when a tree was placed in the Cathedral of Strasbourg under the leadership of Protestant reformer Martin Bucer.
Similarly, the Moravian Christians adopted the practice of adorning trees with lighted candles during this period.
The earliest firmly dated depiction of a Christmas tree can be traced to 1576, appearing as a keystone sculpture in a private home in Turckheim, Alsace.
At the time, this region was part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, though it is now part of modern-day France.
This early evidence highlights the long-standing tradition of the Christmas tree as a festive symbol in European history.
(Photo credit: Flickr / Library of Congress).