The Christmas Tree

     We all know about the Christmas tree. Some of us have fake ones that we put up, and others go out every year and get a real one from a tree farm. Then we decorate it with everything from glass bulbs to striped candy canes.  Some make their tree uniform with a specific theme, while others go the other route and save old decorations to mix with the new ones on their tree. But how did this age old tradition really start?

     Even since the ancient times, primitive people would take evergreen plants and flowers into their huts, seeing in them a magical, spiritual significance. Other plants, like holly, mistletoe, butcher's broom, laurel, or branches of pine or fir also decorated homes, as there were believed to have medical/magical powers that warded off illness. This belief was found especially among the inhabitants of the northern regions, which had cold climates and long, dark winters. It was almost as if these plants revived thoughts of the coming spring while everything around them lay dormant.

     An ancient tradition, part history, part legend, and very popular in Germany, claims that the Christmas tree dates back to the 8th century. This legend is based on a historical figure, St. Boniface, and even a historical event, the destruction of Odin's oak. St. Boniface was an English Bishop who went to Germany in the 8th century to preach the Christian faith as a missionary from the Church of Rome. After a period of successful Gospel preaching, Boniface went to Rome to confer with Pope Gregory II. After a long absence, he returned to Geismar, Germany, for Christmas 723, and felt personally offended on discovering that the Germans had reverted to their former idolatry of pagan divinities and were preparing to celebrate the winter solstice by sacrificing a young man under Odin's sacred oak tree. Fired by holy anger, St. Boniface took up an axe and dared to cut down the oak. This courageous, historically documented act meant the triumph of Christianity in Germany over the pagan divinities.

     All of that is historically documented. The rest belongs to the legend, which tells how, at the first blow of the axe, a strong gust of wind instantly brought down the tree. The astounded Germans fearfully recognized the hand of God in this event and asked St. Boniface how they should celebrate Christmas. The Bishop, as the legend continues, pointed to a small fir tree that had miraculously remained upright and intact beside the debris and broken branches of the fallen oak. Boniface was familiar with the popular custom of taking an evergreen plant into the house in winter and, based on this knowledge, asked everyone to take home a fir tree. This tree signifies peace, and as an evergreen it also symbolizes immortality; with its top pointing upwards, it additionally indicates heaven, the dwelling place of God. This might be how the tree started out as a Christian tradition.

     So, now we have our tradition during Christmas to put up an evergreen tree into our homes and decorate it festively. We put presents under it and wish each other a Merry Christmas and celebrate a happy time around it in our living room. Whatever the case may be, it is now a ancient and fun tradition that we do during the Christmas season.
Happy Holidays!