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Christmas tree5/18/2023 ![]() Therefore, a large evergreen tree (it was winter after all), decorated with red apples, was placed on center stage. Lucas Cranach the Elder, Adam and Eve, 1526, The Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, London. The paradise tree obviously plays a large role in the story of Adam and Eve, representing the Garden of Eden. Around the 12th century, a custom of reenacting the Paradise Play on December 24th was established. This legend gave birth to the idea that the fir tree should be a symbol of Christianity, supported by its triangular shape.įast forward to the middle ages, during which Christians celebrated the Feast of Adam and Eve. Instead, an evergreen tree is said to have grown out of its remnants. To convert them, Saint Boniface cut down the tree in order to prove that nothing bad would happen. He reportedly witnessed German pagans worshipping an oak tree which they considered to be sacred, known as Donar's Oak and thought to be located somewhere near Hessen.īernhard Rode, Boniface chops down a cult tree in Hessen, engraving, 1781, location unknown. The romans also put up wreaths inside of their homes for the occasion.Īnother theory on how the evergreen fir tree became a popular symbol is offered by the legend of Boniface, an English monk that travelled to Germany as a missionary in the 8th century. For the occasion, large trees were decorated with ornaments of Bacchus (the god of fertility) and with candles (symbolizing the sun god Sol). During this feast, Saturn, the god of agriculture, would be honoured in the hopes of a good harvest year. Thomas Couture, Romans during the Decadence, 1847, oil on canvas, 427 x 722 cm, Musée d'Orsay, Paris.ĭecorated trees also formed an important part of the Roman Saturnalia celebrations, which took place up until the early third century AD. ![]() Though to have magical powers, they were cut down and brought into homes and temples to be worshipped alongside the Gods. As the days in winter shortened, the animals went into hibernation and plants and trees slowly died, fir trees remained alive and evergreen. These ancient peoples considered the evergreen fir tree to be a symbol of fertility. Spiritual seekers from all over the world still gather at Stonehenge every year to celebrate the Winter Solstice. It all started in the European Iron Age, somewhere around the 1st century BC, when the Germanic Pagans marked the winter solstice with midwinter festivities, also known as the Yuletide. The customs that we now consider to be inseparable from Christmas can actually tell us much more about how our traditions evolved throughout the years…starting with the most popular of them all: the tree! The truth is that, regardless of what kind of diet you are on or what religion you identify yourself with, cultures in the Northern hemisphere have been celebrating in the month of December for many centuries. Nowadays, the holidays are a time of year during which we focus on friends and family, creating warmth and togetherness and showing our appreciation for each other by buying gifts and cooking up lavish meals. Somewhere in the midst of unwrapping presents, sugar overdosing and avoiding our awkwardly drunk relatives, we also take a moment to remember the birth of Jesus Christ.Ĭaspar David Friedrich, Winter Landscape with Church, 1811, oil on canvas, 33 x 45 cm, Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Dortmund. We have all experienced that moment, sipping champagne and devouring hors d’oeuvres at an extravagant Christmas party whilst ‘All I want for Christmas’ is blasting through the speakers…thinking to ourselves, what are we actually celebrating?ĭomenico Ghirlandaio, Nativity and Adoration of the Shepherd, Sassetti Chapel altarpiece, 1485, tempera and oil on panel, 167 x 167 cm, Santa Trinità, Florence.
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