As we enter the festive season we decided to look at some Christmas traditions associated with buildings. The first one is called ‘topping out’ or ‘topping off.’ This is when an evergreen tree is placed on the highest point of a project to bring luck to the building, and also signifies the finishing of the structure. Drinks and a meal were also provided to the workers as part of the celebration (we like the idea of this one!). This tradition originated from Scandinavia, where it also symbolised the structure’s connection to the forest, and was said to appease any tree-dwelling spirits that were displaced during construction. The tradition was spread through northern Europe to England by the Vikings.

The tradition has also been absorbed into other cultures, for example in America, the native american belief was, ‘that no building should be taller than a tree.’ Putting trees on top of buildings was a way to get round this!

In Germany, the tradition has evolved so that laurel branches are hung around the chimney of a building to celebrate the ‘birth’ of the building and also in memory of anyone that died during construction so that they may have eternal life.