Christmas trees

The Story of the Christmas Tree The idea of bringing a green tree into the home during the winter time is a very old tradition. Wherever there have been long, dark, cold winters, people have tried to prolong the beautiful green of summer by bringing a freshly cut or growing branch into the house. Many people feel that this is the true origin of the Christmas tree. However, there is much more significance to the beginning of the Christmas tree. First of all, we must understand that in the Christian church, Christmas was not even observed until the fourth century. Historians believe that with the coming of Constantine to the throne of the Roman Empire, much more of an emphasis began to be placed on Christmas. From the 4th to the 7th century, there was really no definite date for the observance of anything like Christmas. At some point, special mass for honoring the Christ child was developed, and that term ultimately led to “Christmas”. In Germany around the 8th century, a connection began to be made between the green tree and the Christ child. The metaphor dealt with the endless life of Christ. This belief probably had its origins in pagan worship, which also used the green tree to symbolize eternal life. This thought prompted them to bring green trees or boughs into their dwellings, usually around the time of the winter solstice. It was not until about the 15th century that the custom of decorating a tree became widespread. This seems to have started first in Germany in the northern Rhine valley, then spread across the rest of Europe. As far as the historical record, the oldest evidence of a Christmas tree comes from 1605, by a visitor from the city of Straussborg, on the German- French border. The writer tells of a Christmas tree set up in a living room, decorated with paper roses, and different types of fruits and candies. By the middle of the seventeenth century, the custom of bringing a tree into the home and decorating it was widespread. It was most common in Germany, but evident in other parts of Europe as well. It is interesting that about this same time Christmas pyramids also became popular. These are structures with propellers at their tops which are turned by the heat generated by candles underneath them. This is concurrent with the custom of using candles as decorative elements on the Christmas tree. The development of the Christmas tree occurred almost totally in Northern Germany. By contrast, Southern Germany, being a stronghold of the Catholic Church, emphasized the creche and the nativity scene. According to tradition, the Christmas tree reached England via Queen Victoria. In 1841 she married Prince Albert of Germany. He brought the custom of the Christmas tree with him to England, where the first tree was set up in Windsor Castle. There is evidence to suggest however, that christmas trees may have appeared in England as much as fifty years earlier. Clearly, however, Prince Albert did much to popularize the idea of a tree, presents for children underneath it, and decorations on the tree. Little by little, the Christmas tree spread and became an integral part of Christmas. But there is no country in the world where its development came to such fruition as in America. How did the tree reach America? The first Christmas tree that we know about was set up in 1747 on Christmas Day in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This was not a true evergreen as we know it today but more of a European-style pyramid covered with green boughs and then decorated. A diary written at the time tells us that it was decorated with candles, apples and poetic verses. Over the next half century, there are several other references to Christmas trees in the general vicinity of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Evergreen trees were costly and it was unusual to see a true evergreen decorated - in many instances, fees were charged to people who wished to come and view the trees. The first Christmas tree ever to appear in a church was in 1851. A German Lutheran minister, Henry Schwan, put up a tree in a church in Cleveland, Ohio. By 1875, trees began to become more and more common in the home.According to newspaper accounts from that time, the average tree was about four feet in height,decorated with all sorts of gingerbread, shaped like stars, hearts, sheep, goats, houses and rings, all embellished with mixtures of starches and sugar. Apples, raisins and rosaries were also used. Up until this time, all Christmas trees had been used strictly for the home. But about 1850 the first outdoor Christmas tree made its appearance. It was set up in the village square in Wooster, Ohio. Also, around this time, we have record of the first Christmas tree salesman. His name was Mark Carr, he lived in the Catskill Mountains of New York, and had the idea that he could start a Christmas tree business. He knew there were a lot of German families in New York City and believed he could sell trees to many of them. His wife and family were unenthusiastic about the idea but helped him cut down the trees anyway, which they transported to New York City via a steamer which plied the Hudson River. At a food and vegetable market, he displayed his trees, which quickly sold out and garnered him a tidy profit. After a few days of living it up in the big city, he returned back to the Catskills, having burnished his business reputation mightily. More so than almost anything else, the evergreen tree, be it Scotch pine, blue spruce or one of the other varieties, has come to symbolize Christmas for many. Indeed, it would be hard for us to imagine the holiday season without one, even if it's only a small artificial tree. The tree stands at the center of what makes christmas special; the notion of taking a few moments to reflect on what is good about life and the world, of peace and tranquility, in our interior lives as well as the world in general, to be grateful for what we have and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us - through a gift which expresses that affection or friendship. Each of us have some kind of special tradition with our trees - certain ornaments we decorate with, some of which go back generations and almost comprise a family history, themes which are used to enhance the decor of a house or room. The act of getting the tree is for many families a major event in and of itself (some would probably call it a major headache). Around here in Vermont there are many tree farms which have come into being over the past few years which have made this task a great deal more pleasant. And, I might add, their quality is excellent. You might want to consider that along about the early part of next December.