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Christmas tree origins traced to Christ’s birth

Pt JoAb P. Blwwtr

Statral

The Chnstmas tree and Christmas are as tnseparabłe aa turkey and Thanksgivini{. Yany of m. though. seldom stop to think how the Cnnatmaa bee became soch an integral nart of the Yuletidr season.

We know that the turkey tradition stjrted with the Ihlgrims. but scholara have differing opiraons as to the ongin ot the Christmas tree Contr ary to what some cymes may suggest. the Chnstmas tree is not just an adverti*ing gimmtek designed to hHp sell all those IiRhts. bulbs and other decoraUoru

A common assumpuon ts that many ot the legenda and exptanahons regarding the existenre ot the Chnstmas tree arose from the birth of Christ Itissaid that on the mght ot Christ s h»nh ot Chnst It is said that on the mght ot Christ a birth all natire "came ahve." Birds came out ot hibemation Rivers ran with winę The wcx id around B^thlehem shone brighter than the moonJight. And trees bu rat into bloom. despi*e wmter.

Tr.s 'rgend was first recorded by an Aribiar. gergrapher oi the 10th cmtury. then was spread tbroughout Ku ropę

As a result of Hus leg- nd. peuple began to bring trees. often chreey and ha w t hor n trees. into thetr hou.ses and płace them m putt at water. The idea wat that the trees would bloom around Chnst mas time symbołically reereating the eventa surroanding the birth ot Christ.

According to German his tory. the use of the fir tree. or evergreen. began in the I5th cen tury and symbol i red Christ as the "Tree ot Life*. The referonce. <Light ot the World. ' gives Chnstian meamng to the iight bearing tree

Before sprearbng to homes. the wergreen was used in the Paradise play—a play depteting the nse and fali of Adam and Łve. the “first parents " The only prop in the play was the evergreen which represented the Garden of Eden. The “Ongmal Sm" was dramaMred by Eve piucking an apple from the evergreen

Being ••evergreen." the tree symbolized immortality.

The play was first performed by Protestants in western Germany before being introduced to Cathoiics and the rest ot Europę as we 11.

One of the ołdest recorded legends of the ongin of the Chnst mas tree was written down by Henry Van Dy>.e at the close ot the Victonan Era.

It tells the story of St. Bom face. w ho brought Chns tiara ty to Germany. Legend bas it that St. Boiuface arnved in Germany around Christmas limę and that the first “pagans" he encountered were prepanng to sacnfice the chief s son to the Bod. Thor.

The sacrincial altar was at the base of a saocred oak St Bomface is reputed to have fefled the f«k with one mightly blow

Afterwards. .St Bomface pointed to a tin> evergreen nearby and said. "It is the sign of en dl es* liie. fur its branebes are ever grren Let this be called the tree of (he Christ-Child. gather about it...in your homes. there it will shelter loving gifts and lights of kindness .**

Another legend passed down for centunes by w ord of mouth attnbules the ongin of the Christmas tree to Martin Luther It ts related that ;.fter wandenng about Chnstmas Eve under a starlit sky. Martin laither set uo an ev erg rem in his own .iome He lighted the tree with candles to teach his children how Christ, the Light of the World, had bnghtened the world with His b«r:h

In America, the Christmas tree had a slow start. It was even illegal to celebrate Christmas tn Puntan Massachusetts until Iffll

But the adver* of th* Chnstmas tree in Amenca has been attnbuted to German Episcopalians in the I8th century Specifically. Hessian mercenaries have been crrditrd with its introduction The mam reason. tbough. is that the first documentatioo of a Chnstmas tree is by a German soki i er of fortunę It probabły existed long before

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