Exhibition: 1521, the tradition of the Christmas tree

" Did you know that? Sélestat is home to the oldest known mention of the Christmas tree to date! An installation visible from the outside of the Humanist Library shows you this mention! "

"Item 4 schillings den förstern die meygen an sanct thomas tag zu hieten"

The town of Sélestat carefully preserves in its Municipal Archives an account book which records that, on 21 December 1521, a payment of 4 shillings was made to the forest rangers to guard the communal forest on St Thomas’s Day, the day on which fir trees were traditionally felled. 

If the town of Sélestat had to manage and protect its forest by making such an expenditure, this suggests that the practice of cutting down a tree in the forest and then decorating it at this specific time of year had become a relatively popular tradition. The work of historians, as well as later writings dated 1546, 1555 and 1557 respectively – and equally carefully preserved in the town’s archives – corroborate this fact.

Over the centuries, the fir tree has become a true symbol of the Christmas festivities. Whether richly or modestly adorned, its decoration has never ceased to evolve over time. It is now a firmly established tradition, both in Alsace and far beyond our borders.

This exhibition presents a facsimile of the iconic account book from 1521, as well as two other works from 1555 and 1600, which mention the tradition of the Christmas tree.

Special opening hours on 24 & 31 December: 10.00–12.30 and 13.30–16.00.

Closed on 25 & 26 December.