Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree
- Author Tania Penwell
- Published November 4, 2007
- Word count 576
The moment you gaze upon a Christmas Tree, you will instantly think about Christmas or the Yuletide season, festooned with glittering lights and beautiful decorations. Beneath the Christmas Tree are pretty gift-wrapped parcels, destined to be opened on Christmas Day itself.
Have you ever decorated a Christmas Tree and wondered how this tradition came about? Similarly, how creative can you be when it comes to making tree decorations?
Let’s take a look at ancient roots and modern-day offshoots:
Ancient Roots
The traditional decorating of the Christmas Tree has its roots in rituals of Autumn and Winter of old Northern Europe. For the Teutons, Celts and Gauls, trees like pine, fir and spruce symbolized eternal life. For the Teutons, they would hang pieces of cloth, fruit and other gifts on these evergreen trees during the Winter Solstice. The people would ask for renewal of life and fertility at the tree.
As Christianity became dominant, such pagan practices became subsumed under Christianized traditions. The Christians basically integrated existing beliefs into more acceptable norms of thinking. There is a German myth about St Winifred made a miraculous young fir tree appear with shining lights on its branches and the image of the baby Jesus above.
Evergreen Joy
The Christmas Tree is predominantly an evergreen. So, you get to see live Douglas firs, pines and spruces for sale in major supermarkets during the Christmas season. Some people would opt for the paper and plastic tree options. But having a live tree itself is a special occasion.
In North America, families would go to tree orchards and farms to chop their choice Christmas Tree. They would decorate their trees with shop-bought or home-made decorations, draping fairy lights on the branches. It is a time for families to get together and decorate the tree.
For live evergreens, always remember to give them water, because they would ultimately wilt away after the end of the season. If you are an advocate of eco-friendly practices, do think of ways how to recycle your Christmas Tree. You can make wreaths out of the branches or chop the wood down for firewood. It is sad to see many trees discarded after Christmas. So, recycling them would be a good idea.
Decorations From Home
There are some families who would make popcorn chains to decorate their Christmas Trees. More creative families would dry fruits and hang them on the branches, making their trees uniquely theirs.
If you are keen to make your Christmas Tree decorations, why not take a look around your backyard or garden. If you have seed-pod producing trees, you can collect the seed-pods (if they have fallen from the tree) and use them as decoration material. Make sure the seed-pods are not poisonous! Clean them with a slightly wet cloth. You can start coating them with gold or silver paint (whatever color you desire). After they have dried, you can tie strings on the seed-pods. There you go – your very own tree decorations.
If your taste leans towards the more edible, you can hang crystal-glazed grapes or berries. Get fine sugar and the berries of your choice. Coat the berries with egg white and dust the sugar gently on them. Tie durable string on the berries and tasty decorations are ready to be hung. Remember to take them quickly, because they are perishable!
Have Fun
So, remember to have fun with your Christmas Tree. May your Yuletide season be filled with festive joy!
Tania Penwell provides information on Christmas trees and Christmas decorations for Christmas Town - celebrate Christmas!
Article source: https://articlebiz.comRate article
Article comments
Related articles
- Polio: Doctors Struggled to Advise the Public Correctly.
- Maga Republicans are Hypocrites
- Jayesh Saini’s Vision For Affordable Healthcare in Kenya
- Voodoo love spells to Fix Broken Relationships +27814233831
- "We Can Do It!" The Herculean Effort of War Mobilization During WW II.
- The Illusion of Western Superiority: Unveiling the Truth and Exploring Islamic Alternatives
- The 1922 Salacious Double Murder of the Priest and His Choir Singer.
- NATO: A Stronghold of Global Security and Cooperation – Ideas and Steps for Action
- Choosing Culturally-Conscious Costumes for Halloween
- Occupational Variability of Potters behind the Demise of the Traditional Pottery Industry
- Investigating the Rich Embroidery of Culture: An Excursion Through Variety and Custom
- Talismans of courage: The untold stories of Iranian soldiers and their taweez in the Iran-Iraq war
- Sustainable World
- Social Isolation in Disabled People
- Ableism in the USA
- How Disability Stereotypes Are Harmful
- Controversies and Consequences: The Impact of Sharia Law on Human Rights with Nigeria as a case study.
- Astrology Reading VS Tarot Reading
- Token of Recognition, in homage to Cadi Si Mohamed Benfettacha El-Messaadi
- Life In Saudi Arabia
- Therapy Is The Super-Spreader Of Wokeness
- What Was the Taisho Era (Period) in Japan? – A Complete Overview
- Don't Let Genocide Be Our Epitaph
- Embracing a Fresh Start: Coexilia's Role in Nurturing Social Issues and Culture
- The Evolution of Toothbrushes: From Ancient Chewing Sticks to High-Tech Devices
- The Advantages and Disadvantages of American Tipping Culture
- The Impact of Culture on Cross-Cultural Leadership
- The Darker Side of Psychology
- Ignoring the Natives: The HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Indigenous Peoples of North Central USA & Canadian
- Guns, Our Descent into Barbarism