When was the first Christmas tree decorated in Romania – in 1866 at the Royal Palace on Calea Victoriei, or in 1810 at the Golescu family home?
In 1866, according to sources, the first Christmas tree was adorned in Romania at the palace of Prince Karl I.
Being of German origin, the prince brought with him from Berlin the customs of that time.
In the Royal Palace on Calea Victoriei, on Christmas night in 1866, princes, princesses and prominent guests at the palace adorned the tree while singing: “O, Tannenbaum, o, Tannebaum, Wie grun sind deine Blatter!” (“O, Christmas tree, O, Christmas tree, Thy leaves are so unchanging”).
The first Christmas tree was decorated with candles, baubles, paper flowers, and fruit.
Prince Karl reminisces in “Memories” about Christmas Eve of 1874, saying that it was “of a brilliant beauty”, 14 beautiful fir trees being adorned by Princess Elizabeth for the first time in the Throne Room, according to the custom of northern countries. All the boyars (local noblemen) from Bucharest were present and received symbolic gifts.
Prince Karl I invited hundreds of children to the table, talked with them and shared gifts (clothes, fruits and sweets).
Carmen Sylva, the literary pseudonym of Princess Elizabeth, wrote about this Christmas that it was “the only truly happy Christmas”.
The royal house of Romania, brought over the Christmas tree as a symbol and its adornment on the Christmas Eve, embraced the local traditions and celebrated Christmas abiding by the Romanian customs.
Other sources say that in 1810 Nicolae Golescu, the eldest son of Dinicu Golescu, brought a tree from Vienna and decorated it in his home in Câmpulung Muscel.
The first decorated Romanian fir tree for Christmas is considered the one in the Golescu family home, one of the most influential boyar families in Wallachia, who played an important role in the modernization and national emancipation of Romanians. The Golescu family was one of the first to adopt European customs, including that of the Christmas tree.
This was a revolutionary gesture for that time, which aroused the admiration and curiosity of other inhabitants of the city. Nicolae Golescu was the one who translated into Romanian the lyrics of the carol “O, Christmas tree”, which became the local anthem of the Christmas tree.
This information is based on Nicolae Iorga’s account – he researched the Golescu family correspondence and found a letter in which Nicolae Golescu describes how he took a tree from Vienna and decorated it with candles, baubles, ribbons and sweets.
Since then, the tradition of the Christmas tree has gradually spread throughout the country, especially after the Union of the Romanian Principalities in 1859 and after the Great Union in 1918, when Romania became a unitary and modern national state. Today, the Christmas tree is an essential element of winter holidays for most Romanians, who decorate it with much love and joy.
The tree became fashionable first in the wealthy houses, over time entering the homes of all Romanians.
Ever since, decorating the tree has become the most anticipated moment for all family members, especially for well-behaved children, who are looking forward to finding out what gifts Santa Claus has brought them.
