Exhibition: 1521, the Tradition of the Christmas Tree

The city of Sélestat preserves in the Municipal Archives an account ledger dated December 21, 1521, mentioning a payment of 4 shillings to forest guards to watch over the communal forest on Saint Thomas's Day. This expense, linked to the traditional cutting of fir trees on that day, reveals a well-established custom at the time. Later writings, also kept in the same archives and dating from 1546, 1555, and 1557, confirm this practice, showing that the decorated tree had become a symbol of year-end festivities in Alsace.

The exhibition offers a chance to discover a facsimile of the 1521 ledger as well as two other books from 1555 and 1600, all referring to this deeply rooted tradition. Over the centuries, the decoration of the fir tree has evolved, but its central role in Christmas celebrations, in Alsace and far beyond, has remained intact.

Opening hours are adjusted on December 24 and 31: from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM and from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM. The venue will be closed on December 25 and 26.