The Origin of the Christmas Tree
Many people believe the origin of the Christmas Tree originated in Europe perhaps in the 15th or 16th century. However there is much evidence that points to the fact the tree originally had pagan roots,(no pun intended) and actually originated much earlier than that.
In the 16th century the Catholic Church finally allowed the previous pagan symbol to be included into the birth of Jesus Christ. The tradition of a "Yule Tree" or "Solstice Tree" long pre-dated the time of Jesus and the Catholic Church.
It's origin lies in a pagan remembrance of a time when there was a Cosmic Tree, a home of the "Gods", the tree of Life, source of good and evil. One symbol of sacred knowledge in antiquity was a Tree, ever guarded by a serpent, the serpent or dragon of wisdom.
RightEarly legends state the existence of a land to the north of Europe called Hyperborea, a land free of ice and snow. The land was perfect with the sun shining 24 hours a day, neither disease, famine or old age was present, far from labor and battle they lived. It was in this land the ancients believed the "Tree of Life" existed, the star at the top came to represent Polaris, the North Star, around which the ancients believed all the universe revolved.
Ironically Santa Claus lives at the North Pole and thus Santa is woven into this legend.
Our ancient ancestors found it extremely difficult to deal with the harshness of winter and would long for a mild season. Thus they would often try to appease the forces of nature with various religious activities. Dressing up as Old Man Winter the Pagan Vikings would then try to make him as welcome as possible. After appearing to have some success, the British adopted the custom and called him Old Father Christmas. He was welcomed into each house and given food and drink in hopes of putting him in a good mood, thus creating a mild winter and early spring. This pagan figure thus became confused with Santa Claus originally a Christian Monk who died in 345 CE and gained sainthood. Becoming more popular than Christ, the French clergy burned him in effigy in the middle of the 19th century.
Today's Santa is actually an invention of Cocoa Cola, who in 1931 hired an artist to redesign Santa Claus for their winter advertising campaign. Red and white, the colors of Cocoa Cola became the color of the Old Man's uniform.
In earlier times, Old Man Winter, or Father Christmas would appear in green,purple, blue or even brown,(wonder if that is where UPS got the idea?) and sometimes even trimmed in furs. But no more, modern America has transformed him into a fat jolly man in a red suit with lots of goodies for everyone. Hence the jolly old man who brings goodies to everyone actually had his humble beginnings in pagan times and not Christianity as one would think.
Featured
Discover the Benefits of Recycling Christmas Lights
In Holidays - Saturday, November 26, 2011 @ 06:05 PM
Christmas lights have spent years adorning homes and gardens, captivating the true spirit of the season in an incredible visual display. But these strands of radiance also possess a history that isn't quite as well-known: producing thousands of pounds of waste every year. After all, many households...
[ Continue reading ]