I DIDN’T KNOW THAT…

I DIDN’T KNOW THAT…

This post is going to be under the lead of .. I didn’t know that.

Today is the Christmas tree… In my thought the other day, was .. what was the symbol of the Christmas tree suppose to mean..  I couldn’t get it connected to Jesus being born.. And wasn’t sure about a German connection, as Santa I believe is.  So I looked it up.  So if you are bored and have nothing else to do..  continue reading…  other wise.. have a great day.

When did Christmas trees originate?

The true Christmas tree tradition can be traced to 16th-century Germany, where Christians began to decorate trees—or, if times were tough, simple pyramid-shaped stacks of wood— inside their homes. The tradition of adding candles to the tree branches is most commonly attributed to Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation movement in the 1500s. (Legend suggests he was inspired by the stars in the night sky and wanted to re-create the scene in his own home using candlelight.)  According to A Christmas Cornucopia: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions, the first-ever Christmas tree was in London, near what is now Leadenhall Market. However, it seems it was a one-time trend, as Christmas trees wouldn't be back in Britain until the 19th century.

In what country did the Christmas tree originate? And are Christmas trees religious?

Despite the Christmas tree's roots in Christianity, most Americans refused to adopt the tradition at first because they believed it to be attached to pagan beliefs. The tradition was mostly contained to Germany until the late 1700s and early 1800s. Until then, the Puritans of New England upheld especially strict views of Christmas in America, and people were severely punished if they celebrated or decorated in any way. (They believed the holiday was so sacred that a church service was the only appropriate way to celebrate.) This solemn American observance of Christmas continued until Irish and German immigrants began to make their way across the Atlantic and established their own traditions despite the Puritan rule.

German settlements, particularly in Pennsylvania, typically decorated community trees in the late 18th century, and soon the trees found their way into the individual homes of German families—but most of the country was still skeptical. It wasn't until England's Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (who was of German heritage) were depicted in a popular newspaper in 1848 standing around a Christmas tree with their family that the tradition became more widely embraced. Americans were hereby convinced that Christmas trees were desirable holiday decorations.

 

So there you have it… How we come to have Christmas trees.  Kind of interesting it was against the law of the Puritan’s to have one..AND NOW.. you can say.. I know that…

 

Oh, one more thing…

Where did the custom of decorating Christmas trees originate?

Other than the candle aesthetic already established in Europe, decorations like ornaments (often imported from Germany) became more popular in the late 1800s, and homemade decorations like cookies and garlands (think: popcorn, berries, nuts, and more) became decorating staples.

These more homespun decorations gave way to electric lights and synthetic materials, like tinsel, as technological and industrial developments changed throughout the 20th century. The popular Shiny Brite ornaments, inspired by imported German glass ornaments, marked the beginning of the U.S. ornament industry in the early-to-mid 1900s.