Christmas tree - sign for life
Just in time for the 24th. December stands the colorfully decorated Christmas tree again in the living rooms. A custom that has spread throughout Europe over the centuries.
The tree is today the most popular Christmas symbol and stands in many cultures and religions as a sign of life.
History of the Christmas or Christmas tree
The origin of the Christmas tree can be found in medieval paradise games.
These were performed year after year on the day before the Christmas nativity play to illustrate the connection between the fall of man and redemption through the birth of Christ.
During the 16th century, the first of these evergreen trees spread outside the church, initially in Protestant-majority regions.
The Christmas tree also gradually made its way into aristocratic families. In 1611, the first illuminated fir tree is said to have stood in the castle of Duchess Dorothea Sibyl of Silesia
For a long time, the Christmas tree remained a Protestant custom, as it was understood as a confessional counter-symbol to the Catholic nativity scene.
It was not until the end of the 19th century that it became part of the Christmas image of Catholic living rooms.
Nowadays, the Christmas tree is the most well-known Christmas symbol.
Famous is the imposing Christmas tree in front of Rockefeller Centers in New York.
First erected in 1931, it offers an impressive sight year after year with its 30,000 lights.
Christmas tree ornaments
The first Christmas trees were decorated with apples. Over the years, candy and nuts were added.
In the 17th century, the Christmas tree was first lit with candles. The predominant color of Christmas tree decorations was red.
In the Biedermeier period, real apples were replaced by glass Christmas tree balls.
Nowadays, anything goes when it comes to Christmas tree decorations. However, red and white are still the most popular colors.
Christmas crib
The "inventor"of the Christmas crib is considered to be Saint Francis of Assisi. On Christmas night in 1223, he held a nativity celebration with live animals in a cave near Greccio.
Just as the shepherds of Bethlehem once did, people from the surrounding area made pilgrimages to the manger to hear the Good News.
Some 500 years later, there was the first nativity scene in Rome. It can still be seen today in the chapel of St. Mary Maggiore.
Today, the nativity scene is still the most important Christmas symbol in Catholic-majority southern European countries
More Christmas specials:
Christmas traditions from around the world I
Christmas traditions from around the world II
Christmas Greetings from Around the World