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The Christmas Tree Story: A Tale of Tradition by Graham Willett
Christmas, that lovely time of year when the temperature drops a little low and people decide to bring something that is normally outside in and place presents under it. The Christmas tree is a fixture that lets you know that it is in fact Christmas. Without it we would probably be a little puzzled if we woke up one morning to discover piles of gifts. We may wonder the occasion. Is today a birthday, an anniversary? The Christmas tree is like a flamboyant lighthouse beaconing us to come to shore to smell its Christmas aroma and partake in its Christmas tradition. But the Christmas tree wasn't always used in the same manner as we know it in its modern day role.
Before there were Christians and Christmas (and Christmas trees) people decorated trees for festivals, rituals, and other traditions. The Vikings revered the evergreen as it served to let them know that the harsh winter would end and the trees would return to life. The Pagans, to honour their gods would decorate trees and were under the idea that showing attention to the evergreens would incite jealousy in trees that had lost their leaves thus causing them to come back to their normal state. In Rome, the festival devoted to Saturn called for trees decorated with lit candles and other ornaments. As for Christians there are some conflicting stories as to the origin of the Christmas tree.
It has been said that an English monk, Saint Boniface, observed a group of Pagans getting ready to sacrifice a child. The Pagans were gathered around an oak tree. Saint Boniface, determined to save the child, knocked down the tree in one punch. In place of the oak tree a tiny fir grew. Saint Boniface informed the Pagans that the tree represented the life of Christ and was the "Tree of Life." A Christmas tree story that conflicts with this one is of Martin Luther walking through some woods during the night. He noticed the star shine through the trees and the twinkling effect that it had. This moved him so much that he reportedly cut down a tree and brought it home with him so that he could re-enact the phenomenon by using candles to simulate the twinkling of the stars.
While the Romans, Pagans, Vikings, and Christians enjoyed their trees outside it was most likely the Germans who brought the Christmas tree from the outside to the inside. The Christmas tree of choice for the Germans was the evergreen but when there were no evergreens to use they would construct a wooden structure that was festooned with branches and candles. This structure was known as a Christmas pyramid. Some years later the Germans established a tradition of decorating their Christmas trees with fruits, gingerbread, and candy.
People in Europe would not start buying Christmas trees until the middle of the 1800's when Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, displayed the first Christmas tree at Windsor Castle. The Prince is said to have decorated the Christmas tree in the tradition of the Germans (fruits, gingerbread, and candy). It is hard to imagine not buying a Christmas tree in modern times but it was not until Prince Albert's Christmas tree that the idea became popular in England.
In America the tradition of Christmas trees was brought by immigrants from Germany too. Prior to their immigration such activities were viewed with disdain as non religious customs. The thought of a Christmas without a Christmas tree is now hardly regarded as Christmas at all. People anxiously await the time when they can buy a Christmas tree to take home and decorate, ushering in a beloved season.
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Rent a Christmas tree About the Author
My two passions in life are horticulture and marketing. I run two businesses in these fields: The Little Tree Company Ltd. that supplies the plants that we use as well as demonstrating the link we have with plants and guiding people through the steps it takes to grow and process them. The other is an independent marketing business that concentrates on getting start up companies off the ground using e-marketing techniques.
The Graham Norton Show 2010 Christmas Eve Show Part 1 BBC Graham Norton Show Matt Smith Matt Lucas
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