Origin and history
The birch is a majestic and luminous tree, a symbol of purity and renewal. Native to the temperate and boreal regions of Eurasia, it is very common in the forests of Northern Europe and Asia. Among Nordic peoples, it represented light and the rebirth of nature after winter. Its thin, smooth, white bark was once used to make parchment, containers, and even torches. In traditional medicine, the birch has been used for centuries as a natural detoxifier: its leaves, sap, and buds were renowned for "cleansing" the body at the end of winter.
