Stories, legends, myths - Christmas tree

Christmas-themed stories are few and far between, however, since I've just seen, I think for the 10th time, Alone at Home. That's why I thought it might be good to tell you the story of the Christmas tree. Especially since there's very little time left until then.

Let's start with the legends. One of them says that a small bird couldn't fly to the warm countries because it had a broken wing and tried to hide from the bad weather in the forest. It tried first in an oak tree, then in an elm, but neither would take it in for fear of eating their fruit. Desperate, she sat in the snow waiting for her end. Then a fir tree saw her and called her to it, hiding her and saving her. On Christmas night a great wind blew, and so great was it that all the trees lost their leaves. All except the fir tree, which God rewarded for its kindness by leaving its leaves evergreen.

Another legend says that, once upon a time, three sister virtues - Hope, Love and Faith - set out on a journey in search of the tree that could best represent them. That is to say, tall as Hope, tall as Love and strong as Faith. And as they searched through the forest, they came across the fir tree and realised that it was the tree they were looking for. They then lit it with the rays of the stars, adorning it. And so the tree became the tree that symbolises eternal hope, love and faith.

The origins of the Christmas tree go way back to prehistoric times, when our pagan ancestors celebrated the winter solstice with evergreen branches or decorated branches around December 21. Such customs were not unique to Europe. Evidence of such celebrations has been found in Egypt and China, for example. Druids in England and France worshipped the oak tree and decorated oak branches in honour of the god of the harvest.

While pagans worshipped the oak tree, Christians chose the fir tree because of its triangle shape, which reminds us of the Holy Trinity. It seems that the first person to use the triangular shape of the tree associated with Christianity was St Boniface in the 8th century on his journey through Germany. Even today, oak leaves are still used at pagan festivals.

The first documented public Christmas tree was in Riga, Latvia, in 1510. It was decorated with paper flowers and fruit, a combination of pagan and Christian tradition. Around the same time in Germany, Martin Luther told people to put candles in the Christmas tree to symbolise the stars shining all night, a custom that quickly spread across the country.

Later, in the 1700s, German immigrants brought the custom to America, and by the end of the century it had reached Canada. Also in the 1700s the Christmas tree reached Russia, brought by Peter the Great. The custom lasted here for over 200 years, until it was outlawed after the Bolshevik revolution in 1917.

Although Denmark is now the largest producer of Christmas trees, the first tree was officially erected in Copenhagen's City Hall Square in 1914. It was not, however, Denmark's first Christmas tree. The first documented record of a Christmas tree here dates back to 1808. In England, the Christmas tree first appeared in 1841 when Queen Victoria's German-born husband, Prince Albert, gave his wife a tree as a gift, which was placed in Windsor Castle and decorated. The custom soon spread throughout England and the colonies.

In Romania, the Christmas tree has always been seen as a symbol even before it was a Christian one. It was given at birth, decorated at weddings and funerals. Even now, in the countryside, it is still customary to decorate the tree at weddings with fruit and coloured paper.

The Christmas tree decoration appeared in our country in the second half of the 19th century. The custom came from the German tradition, but there are two possible versions of the first Christmas tree. One says that it all started with the German nanny of a rich landlord, who decorated a tree for the landlord's children. The second, more official and with more documents, says that the custom was brought to the country by Prince Carol of Hohenzollern, the future King Carol I of Romania. The custom of the royal family celebrating Christmas around the tree quickly spread among the boyars, establishing the custom in our country.

As you know, the tree is mostly decorated with baubles and lights. The first glass globes were made ..., but that's another story, which I'll leave for next Sunday 🙂

Other stories, legends, myths.