Thursday 12 January 2012

THE CHRISTMAS TREE

Hi this is what we found out abaut the Christmas tree

Some historians trace the lighted Christmas tree to Martin Luther. He was walking home one Christmas Eve when he saw stars shining. He thought them so beautiful that he tried to recapture their beauty by putting lighted candles on a small evergreen tree. From about 1700 the Christmas tree became a tradition in Germany and in the 19th century it became widespread in the Latin countries.

Some people believe that the origin of the Christmas tree goes back to an earlier period. In fact even before the Christian era, trees and boughs were used for ceremonials. Egyptians, in celebrating the winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year -- brought green date palms into their homes as a symbol of "life triumphant over death". When the Romans observed the feast of Saturn, part of the ceremony was the raising of an evergreen bough. The early Scandinavians paid homage to the fir tree.

To the Druids, the evergreen holly meant eternal life; while to the Norsemen, they symbolized the revival of the sun god Balder. To those who were superstitious, branches of evergreens put over the door kept out witches, ghosts and evil spirits.

A Christmas tree set up at one of our friends' house

Sergio and Giacomo

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