The Christmas tree legend. 08/12/2010

It is a tradition that goes back many years ago, between the second and third millennium.

In those times the Indo-European towns, which inhabited in Europe and Asia, believed that trees were the expression of nature’s strength and they adored them. Since upon the arrival of fall and winter, the leaves fell, the people tried to decorate the tree in different ways.

There are so many legends on the origins of the Christmas tree.

These are some of the most recurrent.

The fir tree is one of the trees in the Garden of Eden, to be precise, the Tree of Life. When Eve took the forbidden fruit, its leaves closed until turning into needles and didn’t bloom again until the birth of Baby Jesus. It is considered the Tree of Good and Evil because when Adam was expelled from Eden he brought with him a branch, which later turned into the fir that was used for the Holy Cross and then became the Christmas tree.

Instead, another legend establishes the origin of the tradition amongst the Germans: in a village, on Christmas Eve, a child went to the woods to look for an oak trunk to burn in the chimney, as was the tradition. But delaying he got lost during a strong snowstorm. To protect himself from the snow he found shelter under the only tree that was still green, in the middle of all the other threes and naked plants. That was the fir three.

The child, cold and frightened, snuggled at the feet of the trunk and fell asleep. The tree felt pity and to better keep him away from the cold it lower its branches to the ground, like forming a refuge to protect him. In the morning voices from the villagers looking for him woke him up. Just after finding him, all of them noticed the wonderful spectacle nature had created: the snow, which rested on top of the branches, had formed shinny decorations that next to so many ice crystals shinned on the sunlight.

This is how the fir tree was taken as a symbol of Christmas and in every house it is decorated and illuminated to recreate the dazzling spectacle farmers appreciated, on Christmas morning. Some refer this tradition to ancient pagan origins, when a tree trunk was burned on the day of the Winter Solstice in tribute to the Sun.

Different meanings are derived from here: the lights are the sparkles from the bonfires, decorations represent the hope for prosperity, the fir tree is the symbol of hope and revival and the golden and silver threads are the hair of fairies.

Ancient Germans hung some colored rocks to call the spirits that ran away at the fallen of the leaves. With time these colored rocks were replaced by wreaths, ribbons and colored fruits making the tradition link more every time with Christmas until the point where missionaries replaced the oak with fir, since its triangular form symbolizes the Holy Trinity.

The Christmas tree tradition, such as we know it today, was born in Germany 1611. It is said that the duchess of Brieg had it all prepared to celebrate Christmas in her castle, but she noticed that a corner of her living room was empty. So she went outside to the park to look for something fitting to decorate, finding a small fir tree. She had it planted in a pot and taken to her living room.

In Tempo di Festa we also have a Christmas tree… only that it is made of balloons!

In many homes decorating the tree, in a special place of the house, is a beautiful occasion to get together with family. It can be decorated using colorful decorations, usually golden, silver or red according to the tradition or what is in fashion or what you like the most. The decorations can be bought or better yet made by you and your family. You can even use any type of objects for the decoration of your home with pillows, images, books, etc

The important thing is that whatever the decoration of your home is, you spend time with your family, since this is the true magic of Christmas, love and union.