The Christmas Eve Tree

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In the early 19th century, the custom became popular among the nobility and spread to royal courts as far as Russia. Introduced by Fanny von Arnstein and popularized by Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg the Christmas tree reached Vienna in 1814 during the Congress of Vienna, and the custom spread across Austria in the following years. [41] In France, the first Christmas tree was introduced in 1840 by the duchesse d'Orléans. In Denmark a Danish newspaper claims that the first attested Christmas tree was lit in 1808 by countess Wilhemine of Holsteinborg. It was the aging countess who told the story of the first Danish Christmas tree to the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen in 1865. He had published a fairy tale called The Fir-Tree in 1844, recounting the fate of a fir tree being used as a Christmas tree. [42] Adoption by country or region [ edit ] Germany [ edit ] A German Christmas tree in a room at Versailles turned into a military hospital

These tales seem to have started in Eastern Germany, Poland or Ukraine but are also told in parts of Finland and Scandinavia. The stories are now also popular in other countries such as the USA; although I live in the UK and most people in my country have never heard of the story/legend! Georgians rediscover Christmas tree traditions". BBC News. 21 December 2011 . Retrieved 3 March 2021. Churco, Jennie M. (December 1938). "Christmas and the Roman Saturnalia". The Classical Outlook. 16 (3): 25–26. JSTOR 44006272– via JSTOR. a b "BBC Religion & Ethics—Did the Romans invent Christmas?". BBC Religion & Ethics. 17 December 2012. Archived from the original on 7 December 2016 . Retrieved 14 September 2016.

The use of fire retardant allows many indoor public areas to place real trees and be compliant with code. Licensed applicants of fire retardant solution spray the tree, tag the tree, and provide a certificate for inspection. Mazar, Peter (2000). School Year, Church Year: Customs and Decorations for the Classroom. Liturgy Training Publications. p.161. ISBN 978-1568542409. Travers, Penny (19 December 2016). "The history of the Christmas tree". Australia: ABC News . Retrieved 8 December 2018.

Swedes often travel many a mile during the holiday period. Christmas Day with the Anderssons, Boxing Day with the Johanssons, quite a few also go for a week of skiing in the mountains with the Svenssons. Silverthorne, Elizabeth (1994). Christmas in Texas. Texas A&M University Press. p.62. ISBN 978-0-8909-6578-8. In some cities, a charity event called the Festival of Trees is organized, in which multiple trees are decorated and displayed. The History of Christmas". Gareth Marples. Archived from the original on 28 June 2006 . Retrieved 2 December 2006. Town twinning: Bergen, Norway". Newcastle City Council. Archived from the original on 25 April 2007.Senn, Frank C. (2012). Introduction to Christian Liturgy. Fortress Press. p.118. ISBN 9781451424331. The Christmas tree as we know it seemed to emerge in Lutheran lands in Germany in the sixteenth century. Although no specific city or town has been identified as the first to have a Christmas tree, records for the Cathedral of Strassburg indicate that a Christmas tree was set up in that church in 1539 during Martin Bucer's superintendency. Evergreen trees (and other evergreen plants) have traditionally been used to celebrate winter festivals (pre-Christian/pagan and Christian) for thousands of years. Pre-Christian/Pagans used branches of evergreen trees to decorate their homes during the winter solstice, as it made them think of the spring to come. The Romans used Fir Trees to decorate their temples at the festival of Saturnalia. However, they were quite different to what we now think of as Christmas Trees.

The first person to bring a Christmas Tree into a house, in the way we know it today, may have been the 16th century German preacher Martin Luther. A story is told that, one night before Christmas, he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches. It was so beautiful, that he went home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of heaven to come to earth at Christmas. So he brought a tree into his house and decorated it with candles to represent the stars.Weber-Kellermann, Ingeborg (1978). Das Weihnachtsfest. Eine Kultur- und Sozialgeschichte der Weihnachtszeit[ Christmas: A cultural and social history of Christmastide] (in German). Bucher. p.22. ISBN 978-3-7658-0273-7. Man kann als sicher annehmen daß die Luzienbräuche gemeinsam mit dem Weinachtsbaum in Laufe des 19. Jahrhunderts aus Deutschland über die gesellschaftliche Oberschicht der Herrenhöfe nach Schweden gekommen sind. (English: One can assume with certainty that traditions of lighting, together with the Christmas tree, crossed from Germany to Sweden in the 19th century via the princely upper classes.) Candlemas". BBC . Retrieved 9 April 2014. Any Christmas decorations not taken down by Twelfth Night (January 5th) should be left up until Candlemas Day and then taken down. Drinking eggnog. Traditionally made with eggs, cream, milk, sugar, and often whiskey or rum – it shouldn't be good, but it is. Foley, Michael P. (2005). Why Do Catholics Eat Fish on Friday?. Palgrave Macmillan. p.18. ISBN 978-1-4039-6967-5. [ permanent dead link]

The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking. In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year. The debate about the environmental impact of artificial trees is ongoing. Generally, natural tree growers contend that artificial trees are more environmentally harmful than their natural counterparts. [131] However, trade groups such as the American Christmas Tree Association, continue to refute that artificial trees are more harmful to the environment, and maintain that the PVC used in Christmas trees has excellent recyclable properties. [133] Charles Minnigerode (1814–1894)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016 . Retrieved 11 December 2009. Christmas tree, an evergreen tree, often a pine, spruce, or fir, decorated with lights and ornaments as a part of Christmas festivities. Christmas trees can be fresh-cut, potted, or artificial and are used as both indoor and outdoor decorations. While the trees are traditionally associated with Christian symbolism, their modern use is largely secular. Many families place presents around an indoor Christmas tree to be opened on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.Lazowski, Philip (2004). Understanding Your Neighbor's Faith. KTAV Publishing House. pp.203–04. ISBN 978-0-88125-811-0. Poinsettia plants are named after Joel R. Poinsett, an American minister to Mexico, who brought the red-and-green plant from Mexico to America in 1828. A picture from Germany in 1521 which shows a tree being paraded through the streets with a man riding a horse behind it. The man is dressed a bishop, possibly representing St. Nicholas. The Christmas Tree". Lutheran Spokesman. 29–32. 1936. The Christmas tree became a widespread custom among German Lutherans by the eighteenth century.