Story has it, Luther was walking in the woods at night and when he looked up to seeing the stars through the branches, that’s when he got the idea to put candles on the trees.Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. … It is a widely held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, first added lighted candles to a tree.