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Christmas |
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Christmas
Trees |
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The
alluringly mistletoe trees are an inseparable part of
the Christmas celebrations, and a lot of painstaking
effort from each of the family members goes into
decorating one. The twinkling lights, the dazzling gifts
and the delicious chocolates adds to its the glamour.
But very few know about its origin and the reason behind
the tradition. Here is some light on how it all started… Pagans used
trees as part of their religious ceremonies. The
Druids decorated Oak trees with fruit and candles in
honour of their Gods of the Harvest. During the Roman
festival of Saturnalia, trees were decorated with gifts
and candles. The Vikings regarded evergreen coniferous
trees as symbols that the darkness of winter would end
and that spring would return. |
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One legend tells of St. Boniface who encountered some
German pagans about to sacrifice a child at the base of
an Oak tree. He cut down the Oak to prevent the
sacrifice and a Fir tree grew in its place. St Boniface
told the pagans that this was the Tree of Life and
represented Christ.
Another legend ascribes the Xmas tree to Martin Luther,
the founder of Protestantism. The legend tells how
Luther saw the stars shining through the branches of a
forest as he walked at night giving him an impression of
twinkling lights. The beauty of this so impressed him
that he cut down a small evergreen and brought it into
his home to recreate the scene using lighted candles on
the tree's branches.
Germany seems to have started the use of a decorated
tree as part of Xmas. When trees were scarce a wooden
pyramid was sometimes used and this would be decorated
with branches and candles.
In Britain the Xmas tree tradition was popularised in
1841 by Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, (both of
German descent), who decorated a tree at Windsor Castle
with candles, fruits, gingerbread and sweets. The use of
the Xmas tree spread to America with German emigrants.
Nowadays the Xmas tree, (real or synthetic), is seen
worldwide in homes, Churches, workplaces and cities. A
famous tree is the one placed every year in Trafalgar
Square, London, a gift from the people of Norway in
gratitude for the help that Britain gave during World
War II. |
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The
Christmas Stocking |
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“The
stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes
that Saint Nicholas soon would be there"
The story unfolds … There was a kindly nobleman whose
wife died of an illness leaving behind him and his three
daughters in despair. After losing all his money in
useless and bad inventions the family had to move into a
peasant's cottage, where the daughters did their own
cooking, sewing and cleaning. |
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When
it came time for the daughters to marry, the father
became even more depressed as his daughters could not marry
without dowries, money and property given to the husband's
family.
One night after the daughters had washed out their clothing
they hung their stockings over the fireplace to dry. That
night Saint Nicholas, knowing the despair of the father,
stopped by the nobleman's house. Looking in the window Saint
Nicholas saw that the family had gone to bed. He also noticed
the daughters’ stockings. Inspiration struck Saint Nicholas
and he took three small bags of gold from his pouch and threw
them one by one down the chimney and they landed in the
stockings.
The next morning when the daughters awoke they found their
stockings contained enough gold for them to get married. The
nobleman was able to see his three daughters marry and he
lived a long and happy life.
Children all over the world continue the tradition of hanging
Christmas stockings. In some countries children have similar
customs, in France the children place their shoes by the
fireplace, a tradition dating back to when children wore
wooden peasant shoes.
In Holland the children fill their shoes with hay and a carrot
for the horse of Sintirklass. In Hungary children shine their
shoes before putting them near the door.
Italian children leave their shoes out the night before
Epiphany, January 5, for La Befana the good witch. And in
Puerto Rico children put greens and flowers in small boxes and
place them under their beds for the camels of the Three Kings. |
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