Origin of christmas2/24/2023 ![]() ![]() In 1805, a school for American Indians run by Moravian missionaries sent students “to fetch a small green tree for Christmas.” Similar examples pop up in the first half of the 19th century in the Midwest and further West, such as the German immigrants in Texas who decorated trees with moss, cotton, pecans, red pepper swags and popcorn. Flanders mentions a reference to a pine tree in North Carolina in 1786. References to Christmas trees in private homes or establishments in North America date back to the late 18th century and early 19th century. Ordinances throughout the region of Alsace limited each household to one tree in the 1530s. Flanders says the “first decorated indoor tree” was recorded in 1605, in Strasbourg, decorated with roses, apples, wafers and other sweets, according to her research.ĭemand for Christmas trees was so high in the 15th century that laws were passed in Strasbourg cracking down on people cutting pine branches. The oldest Christmas tree market is thought to have been located just over the southwestern German border in Strasbourg in Alsace (which was back then part of the Rhineland, now in present-day France), where unadorned Christmas trees were sold during the 17th century as Weihnachtsbaum, German for Christmas tree. All of these stories may have helped the Christmas tradition spread. Boniface legend say he cut down the new fir tree and hung it upside down, which is believed to have led to the tradition of trees being hung upside down to represent the Holy Trinity - sometimes with an apple wedged at the point instead of a star. Boniface, who in the 8th century thwarted a pagan human sacrifice under an oak tree by cutting down that tree a fir tree grew in its place, with its branches representing Christ’s eternal truth. Another myth popular in the 15th century tells the story of St. One legend says that Martin Luther, who catalyzed the Protestant Reformation, believed that pine trees represented the goodness of God. Flanders posits that a precursor to the Christmas tree can be seen in the pole that parishes would decorate with holly and ivy, like a winter Maypole one account describes a storm in London that knocked over a poll that’s described as “for disport of Christmas to the people.”Ī lot of myths surround the origins of Christmas trees. The Tree decorated with symbols of solar objects and gifts to Celtic gods and goddesses.Records of using greenery to celebrate the holidays predate widespread use of the phrase “Christmas tree.” Rural English church records from the 15th and 16th centuries indicate that holly and ivy were bought in the winter - hence the British carol “The Holly and the Ivy.” Private houses and streets were also decorated with greenery at this time, according to Judith Flanders’ Christmas: A Biography. The Holly and Ivy evergreens that Celts saw as important to keep evil spirits at bay. The Yule log burnt by the Celts to counter the darkness of mid-Winter when they thought the sun stood still for twelve days and to bring good luck. The Mistletoe gathered by the Druids for its magical and health giving properties. So when celebrating Christmas the traditional trappings that go with this festive season have roots that go far back into Celtic history. At times the early Christians also adopted existing deities to ease the transition from old beliefs to new ones, as is thought to be the case with Brigid the Celtic fertility goddess who became known to Christians as Saint Brigid. The spread of Christianity during the first millennium (January 1st AD to December 1000 AD of the Julian calendar) was aided by the new religion adapting to the ceremonies and traditions of the existing religions. The actual date of the birth of Jesus is not given in the Bible. The name Christmas is from the Mass of Christ (Christ-Mass). A practice described in the writings of Roman historian Pliny the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus AD 23 – August 25, AD 79). ![]() It was on this day that they ceremonially gathered mistletoe from oak trees. The Neolithic monuments of Newgrange in Éire, Maes Howe in Orkney, Scotland and Bryn Celli Ddu in Ynys Môn, Wales are examples of burial chambers scattered throughout the Celtic nations constructed to capture the full impact of sun’s rays during the solstices.ĭruids, the priestly class in ancient Celtic society, celebrated the festival of Alban Arthuan (also known as Yule) at the time of the Winter solstice. The Winter solstice was seen by the ancient Celts as one of the most significant times of the year. In the northern hemisphere the Winter solstice usually occurs annually between December 20 and December 23. The solstice is the twice yearly event when the sun appears to be at its highest or lowest point above the horizon. The roots of the Christmas traditions that we recognize today can be traced back to pre-Christian celebrations of the Winter solstice. ![]()
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