"Just like how we carve Jack O’ Lanterns for Halloween, setting up Christmas trees is practically second nature. "--Rosa Aurea, 10 grade.
The modern-day tradition of putting a tree in our homes and decorating them originated in western Germany, where a fir tree was the main prop in a play of Adam & Eve. The tree was decorated with apples to represent the Garden of Eden and was nicknamed the “paradise tree”.
As I began my journey down the rabbit hole of Christmas tree origins, I drew most of my information from the editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, who wrote an article about Christmas trees. This is where I pulled most of my information from.
Upon further reading, I found that it wasn’t just the Germans who fancied the idea of stuffing trees into houses. China and Japan were also influenced by western missionaries in the 19-20 centuries, and their trees were decorated with beautifully made paper designs.
The Germans hung wafers on their trees, a Christian sign for redemption, and those wafers later evolved into cookies of all shapes and sizes hanging off the tree's branches. Candles were also hung on the trees, as a symbol of Christ’s everlasting light. (Talk about a fire hazard.)
Now, evergreen trees had meaning far before we started using them to take up space in our houses. Decorating the trees and weaving wreaths and garlands out of them were traditions by which the ancient people of China and Egypt followed. These leafy decorations were used to symbolize eternal life.
Pagan Europeans also used the evergreens as decorations, using Scandinavian tradition in which the trees were put inside houses and barns as protection from the Devil during the New Year.
All in all, I think Christmas trees are fun. They're associated a lot with the Christian idea of Christmas and are used to decorate the sad interior (or exterior, if you’re one of those people) of your lonely, empty house. But I wonder, why do we continue this tradition?
Well, seeing how long ago this tradition was created and practiced, I blame time. Setting up a Christmas tree in our houses has been ingrained into our culture to the point where it’s just become normal to admire the tree in someone’s window. Just like how we carve Jack O’ Lanterns for Halloween, setting up Christmas trees is practically second nature.
So when the temperature drops and you can see your breath in the air, be sure to run on down to your local forest and snatch an evergreen from Mother Nature’s loving hands. Merry Christmas, everyone!
As I began my journey down the rabbit hole of Christmas tree origins, I drew most of my information from the editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, who wrote an article about Christmas trees. This is where I pulled most of my information from.
Upon further reading, I found that it wasn’t just the Germans who fancied the idea of stuffing trees into houses. China and Japan were also influenced by western missionaries in the 19-20 centuries, and their trees were decorated with beautifully made paper designs.
The Germans hung wafers on their trees, a Christian sign for redemption, and those wafers later evolved into cookies of all shapes and sizes hanging off the tree's branches. Candles were also hung on the trees, as a symbol of Christ’s everlasting light. (Talk about a fire hazard.)
Now, evergreen trees had meaning far before we started using them to take up space in our houses. Decorating the trees and weaving wreaths and garlands out of them were traditions by which the ancient people of China and Egypt followed. These leafy decorations were used to symbolize eternal life.
Pagan Europeans also used the evergreens as decorations, using Scandinavian tradition in which the trees were put inside houses and barns as protection from the Devil during the New Year.
All in all, I think Christmas trees are fun. They're associated a lot with the Christian idea of Christmas and are used to decorate the sad interior (or exterior, if you’re one of those people) of your lonely, empty house. But I wonder, why do we continue this tradition?
Well, seeing how long ago this tradition was created and practiced, I blame time. Setting up a Christmas tree in our houses has been ingrained into our culture to the point where it’s just become normal to admire the tree in someone’s window. Just like how we carve Jack O’ Lanterns for Halloween, setting up Christmas trees is practically second nature.
So when the temperature drops and you can see your breath in the air, be sure to run on down to your local forest and snatch an evergreen from Mother Nature’s loving hands. Merry Christmas, everyone!
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/plant/Christmas-tree
Written by the editors of encyclopedia britannica
Recently revised & updated by Adam Augustyn
Image source:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2018/dec/18/know-your-bauble-ratio-the-optimum-way-to-decorate-a-christmas-tree
Photograph: Holly Anissa Photography/Getty Images
https://www.britannica.com/plant/Christmas-tree
Written by the editors of encyclopedia britannica
Recently revised & updated by Adam Augustyn
Image source:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2018/dec/18/know-your-bauble-ratio-the-optimum-way-to-decorate-a-christmas-tree
Photograph: Holly Anissa Photography/Getty Images
