Long before the advent of Santa Claus and his elves, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter.

Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows.

In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness. But it is Germany that is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it.

It all started in the 16th century, when the German people would bring decorated trees into their homes.

Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce.

To recreate these early trees, we constructed our very own! Using blocks as our wood base and pine boughs, we formed our trees and then talked about them with our friends!