Sun, World Tree, Happiness, and Unity are all symbols of everlasting life.
In Pagan times, the Yule tree was made out of evergreen and other greens grouped together to represent everlasting life and the World Tree. In honor of the gods and goddesses, they decked the greens with pinecones and berries. They would also hang items such as grain for a healthy harvest, cash for fortune, nuts for fertility, and love charms on live evergreen trees outside in the new year. Evergreens were loved by the sun deity Baldar in Scandinavia, and were brought inside to enchant the fairies during Yule. In the 1600s, candles were used to decorate the Yule tree in Germany. Despite the Christian influence in North America, the Yule tree tradition has spread across the continent. The Yule tree custom was brought to North America by German settlers.
People still decorate trees throughout the holiday season in modern times. Yule trees with fruits and animal ornaments can be seen, and they are a sign of the world and its creatures’ oneness, as well as a representation of light amid the gloomy season.