Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree
Christmas Tree - Day 67 - Daily Content Challenge
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!
This is my miniature Christmas Tree that I often take with me when I travel at Christmas time. I bought this about 20 years ago on a stopover in the Frankfurt airport.
Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition. The fact that the tree is triangular in shape, came the idea that it represents the trinity and so became a symbol of Christ and new life.
Modern Christmas trees emerged in western Germany during the 16th century. Many Christians brought trees into their homes and decorated them with apples, nuts and gingerbread. It is believed that Martin Luther first added lighted candles to a tree.
Ever wonder why we often put tinsel on Christmas trees? An Eastern European folktale tells the legend of the Christmas Spider.
The story is one about a poor but hardworking widow who lived in a small hut with her children. One day a pine cone fell on the earthen floor of the hut and took root. The tree grew, but when Christmas Eve arrived, they could not afford to decorate it. Early on Christmas morning, they woke up and saw the tree covered with cobwebs. When the first rays of sunshine fell on the webs, they were turned into gold and silver. The widow and her children were overjoyed and from then on, they never lived in poverty again.
This legend is most prevalent in Western Ukraine. Here small ornaments in the shape of a spider are part of their Christmas decorations.
