The Christmas Tree

Many legends exist about the origin of the Christmas tree. The organizer of Christian church in France and Germany, Saint Boniface, the English monk was the protagonist in one of these stories. Once upon a time when he was traveling, he came across a group of pagans who had congregated around an oak tree. He saw that these pagans were about to offer a sacrifice of human child to the God Thor. He eagerly wanted to stop them from taking the little fellow’s life. He decided to hit and break the tree with one mighty blow of his fist. A small fir tree was grown in place of the oak tree. According to Boniface the tree stood the eternal life of Christ. He told the pagan worshippers that the little fir tree symbolizes life.
There is another story of Martin Luther. Martin Luther was the founder of the protestant faith. While he was walking through a forest on a Christmas Eve, he was impressed by the beauty of millions of stars showing their lights through the evergreen tree branches. He was mesmerized with this fabulous vista and had decided to cut down a small tree. He took the tree for his family. To watch the same marvelous sight of the forest, he had decorated the wooden branches of the tree with a number of candles.

Another legend tells the story of an unfortunate woodsman who met a mislaid and starving child on one Christmas Eve. Even thought the woodsman was really poor but he arranged food and offered shelter to the child. The woodsman woke up in the very next morning to find a beaming tree outside his home and surprisingly he found one as well. The child was really the Christ child who camouflaged. The child rewarded the poor woodsman the glittering tree for his charity.
“Paradise Play” is the origin of Christmas tree, at least some feel it. Previously not many people could read. So, the plays were organized to teach the tales of the Bible all over Europe. The Paradise Play was performed on 24th December each year. It showed the creation of man. To perform it, apple trees were needed. But, in winter apple trees don’t bare fruits. So evergreens were hung with apples.
The story of spiders and Christmas trees were popular in Germany. In earlier days, people wanted their animals to be a part of the Christmas celebration because it was believed that the Christ child was born in a stable. So, they allowed their animals to come inside their homes to see the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Homemakers didn’t allow spider to come inside their homes because they didn’t want to spoil things inside. Spiders were unhappy for this and they complained to the Christ child. The Christ child was sad for the spiders and helped them get into the home at late night to watch the Christmas tree. Spiders enjoyed the whole night, they moved slowly and happily from one branch to another. The trees were covered with webs. The housewives were really contented on the next day seeing what spiders had done. All the cobwebs were turned into the sparkling tinsel with the help of the Christ child. The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree with the tinsel is still followed.