O Tannenbaum/Oh, Christmas Tree

Christmas Carols Explained, #19

We’re celebrating an anniversary on this one! In 1824, German composer August Zarnack assembled the verbiage for this classic, although the melody long predates it, going as far back as the 1500s. Zarnack, unsurprisingly, was another Lutheran who added to the musical canon of the holiday, and wanted to draw a parallel between the steadfastness of nature and the fidelity that we owe to God.

In this case, the symbol of an evergreen tree is rather apparent, as they don’t lose their color or vibrancy even in the harsh cold of a German winter. The song gained popularity in America in the early 20th century although who translated it to English is still a subject of some debate.

Of all the arrangements recorded, none is more popular in North America than the Vince Guaraldi trio’s jazzy instrumental from “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” I probably think of this one the most when someone mentions “O Tannenbaum.”