O Tannenbaum, or, in its English version O Christmas Tree, is a Christmas carol of German origin. A Tannenbaum is a fir tree (die Tanne, in German) or Christmas tree (der Weihnachtsbaum). Its evergreen qualities have long inspired musicians to write several "Tannenbaum" songs in German. The best known version was written in 1824 by a Leipzig organist and teacher named Ernst Anschütz. The melody is an old folk tune. The first known "Tannenbaum" song lyrics date back to 1550.
