W hy do we have a decorated Christmas Tree? In the 7th century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, went to Germany to teach the Word of God. He did many good works there, and spent much time in Thuringia, an area which was to become the cradle of the Christmas Decoration Industry.
Legend has it that he used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The converted people began to revere the Fir tree as God's Tree, as they had previously revered the Oak. By the 12th century it was being hung, upside-down, from ceilings at Christmastime in Central Europe, as a symbol of Christianity.
The first decorated tree was at Riga in Latvia, in 1510. In the early 16th century, Martin Luther is said to have decorated a small Christmas Tree with candles, to show his children how the stars twinkled through the dark night.
The seasonal tradition that is celebrated today has borrowed many customs from many lands, but families who have come from all over the world have adopted the Christmas tree as the symbol and centrepiece of the festive season. As much as decorating the tree, choosing the tree has become a tradition of its own. Bundled in boots and winter coats, families walk through the snow to Christmas tree lots in the city or drive to farms in the country in search of the right tree. On some choose-and-cut farms, the growers may welcome the family with hot chocolate, a bonfire or a wagon ride through fields covered with beautifully shaped trees.
Making the right choice is never easy especially when it comes to Christmas trees. Discussions on the matter are always very lively. Is the tree big enough or will it fit in the house? Is it full on every side? Is a pine tree with its long soft needles more beautiful than a spruce or fir with their stiff, short needles? Decisions are hard but sooner or later everyone agrees on the perfect tree.
Decorating the tree is an especially important job that is shared by everyone in the family. These days glittering glass ornaments, electric lights, and shining tinsel have replaced the gilded fruits, pine cones, sweets, apples and candles that were once used as decorations. But the ceremony itself has changed little over the centuries. Glittering with colour and light and topped with a star or radiant angel, the Christmas tree, green and lush in the winter, is a symbol that life is eternal, while the presents below it are reminders of the love, joy and close ties that are shared by families and friends.
The German folk song, "O Tannenbaum" says:
Not only in summer's glow,
But 'mid the winter's frost and snow
O faithful pine, O faithful pine,
You're true and green forever.
It takes about 7 years to grow a christmas trees.
How the Christmas tree became such a central part of the Christmas tradition
This coming Tuesday
is Christmas Day, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Born over
2000 years ago, Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God. And even
though no one can be certain that Jesus was born exactly on December 25th,
that's the day the Roman Catholic Church picked in the 3rd century A.D.
as his birthday. And it stuck.
Many traditions grew up around the Christmas celebration. If you just
look around at this time of year, you'll recognize quite a few of them;
Santa Claus, poinsettias, gingerbread men, candy canes, presents, angels
and Christmas trees, just to name a few.
How did the Christmas tree become such a central part of the Christmas
tradition? Plants and trees that remain green all year have always had
a special meaning in winter. In ancient times, evergreen boughs such as
pine or spruce were hung over doors and windows to keep evil spirits away.
The Druid temples of the ancient Celts were decorated with evergreen branches
as a symbol of everlasting life. The ancient Romans, during their winter
festival honoring Saturnus, god of agriculture, actually decorated outdoor
trees with small pieces of metal. But the Christmas tree didn't appear
until the 16th century.
It is said that Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer, was walking through
the hush of a spruce forest on his way home one winter evening. The stars
were twinkling ever so brightly amidst the evergreen branches and the
beauty of it took his breath away. When he arrived home, words were simply
not enough to describe the magical scene to his family! Luther ran out
to the forest and rushed back with a tree! He actually brought it into
the house and then decorated it with candles in an effort to show everyone
how lovely it could be.
The German settlers brought this lovely tradition with them to America,
but it didn't catch on right away. Many Americans still held the Puritan
belief that Christmas carols, merry celebrations and decorated trees were
frivolous and disrespectful of the sacred nature of Christmas. But as
more and more immigrants from Germany and Ireland continued to bring the
tradition with them, the appeal of the Christmas tree began to spread.
Then in 1834, Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, brought the
first Christmas tree to Windsor Castle for the English Royal Family. Queen
Victoria was extremely popular with her subjects and whatever she did
at court immediately became fashionable. And it wasn't just British high
society that was impressed. The fashion-conscious society of the American
East Coast also took note. The Christmas tree had now become fashionable
and by 1850 you could see decorated trees all over the eastern states.
By the 1890s Christmas ornaments were being imported from Germany and
Christmas trees were being seen in homes all around the U.S. So while
the Christmas holiday may be a 1,700 year-old celebration, Christmas trees
have only been a tradition in America for about 150 years!
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Yule log.
A German tradition. An actual log of wood you put in the fireplace.
You burned it for good luck...the longer it burned the better your luck.
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Thursday, December 18, 2003 4:21 AM