A popular motif in medieval art, particularly in stained glass, was the depiction of the earthly ancestry of Jesus as a tree growing from Jesse, the father of David. A spectacular example of this is the twelfth-century Jesse Tree window from the Benedictine abbey of St Denis in France. In the twentieth century the notion of a Jesse tree as a symbol of Advent attracted a number of American artists and craftspeople. Many churches and homes now contain a tree, tree branch or banner decorated with Bible verses prophesying the coming of Jesus or ornaments symbolic of Messianic prophecies.
Sometimes the Jesse Tree is decorated piece by piece in the fashion of an Advent calendar and in some churches a Jesse tree is used to collect winter clothing for the poor with members attaching hats, scarves or mittens.