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Times Advocate, 1996-12-23, Page 31Times -Advocate, December 23, 1996 Page 31 Jjjrj_l.y The history of Christmas trees Early History Long before the advent of Chris- tianity, plants and trees that re- mained green all year had a special meaning for people in winter. Just as people today decorate their homes at Christmas with pine, spruce and fir trees, ancient people hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many coun- tries people believed that ever- greens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits and illness. Ra, Saturn and the Druids Some ancient Egyptians wor- shiped a god called Ra, who had the head of a hawk and who wore the sun as a blazing disc in his crown. It was believed the winter came each year because Ra became ill and weak. At the solstice, when Ra began to recover from illness, the Egyptians filled their homes with green palm rushes which sym- bolized for them the triumph of life over death. Across the Mediterranean Sea, the early Romans marked the sol- stice with a feast called Saturnalia in honour of Saturn, the god of ag- riculture. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs. The Saturnalia was a special time of peace and equality when wars could not be declared, when slaves and masters could eat at the same table, and when gifts were ex- changed as a symbol of affection and brotherhood. In northern Europe the mysteri- ous Druids, the priests of the an- cient Celts, also decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The fierce Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god Balder. Many historians believe that our word for Yule came from the Norse word "rol", the Gothic word "huil" or the Saxon word "hweol", all of which mean wheel and refer to the cycles of the sun. Yule logs When families bring home their Christmas tree from a sales lot or a choose -and -cut tree farm they are following a tradition that is more than a thousand years old. "Bring- ing in the Yule log" was a ritual that began in Great Britain and that spread throughout Europe, eventu- ;' all.f. reitcDid'g:;148rth America. On Christmas Eve, the large central trunk of a great tree was dragged from the forest. Everyone in the family, both adults and children, helped with the job by pulling on ropes. When the log was finally brought into the house, it was thrown on the family fireplace where it burned for the twelve days of Christmas. Miracle Plays And The Para- dise Tree In the fourteenth century, when few knew how to read, churches held "miracle plays" to tell people in villages and towns stories from the Bible. The play that was held every December 24, which was Adam and Eve's Day, was about the Garden of Eden. The play showed how Eve was tempted by the serpent, how she picked the ap- ple from the forbidden tree, and how the couple was expelled from Paradise. The time of year that the play was held created a problem for the actors and organizers of the play. How do you find an apple tree with leaves on it in the middle of win- ter? In Germany, the problem was solved by cutting down an ever- green tree, probably a spruce or pine, and tying apples onto it. As well, the tree was hung with round, white wafers to remind the audience that even though Adam and Eve were expelled from Para- dise, the birth of the baby Jesus would bring redemption. The idea of a Christmas tree hung with apples amused people in Germany so much that before long many families were setting up a "Paradeisbaum", or paradise tree, in their own homes. The custom persisted long after the miracle plays were no longer performed. Ever since, red and green, the col- our of the apples hanging on a pine tree, have been the official colours of Christmas. The wafers that once hung on the Paradise tree were replaced with cookies in the form of hearts, bells, angels and stars. With time, per- haps because so many decorations were eaten before the tree was tak- en down, the cookies were replaced with decorations made out of thin, painted metal. When families com- bined the decorations on the Para- deisbaum with the candles on Mar- tin Luther's Tannenbaum, they created the Christmas tree that is still found in homes today. Canada past The first Christmas tree in Cana- da was set up in Sorel, Quebec in 1781 by Baron Friederick von Riedesel. The baron, who was born in Germany, selected a handsome balsam fir from the forests that sur- rounded,.his ttxtd decorated,it with white candles. The next re- corded Christmas tree appeard in Halifax in 1846 when William Prior, a local merchant, cut down an evergreen and decorated it with glass ornaments imported from Germany to please his German wife. After that, the custom spread quickly as German and British pio- neers settled throughout the grow- ing nation. Today The Christmas tradition that is celebrated in Canada today has bor- rowed many customs from many lands, but families who have come from all over the world have all adopted the Christmas tree as the symbol and centerpiece of the fes- tive season. As much as decorating the tree, choosing the tree has become a tra- dition of its own. Bundled in boots and winter coats, families walk through the snow to Christmas tree lots in the city or drive to planta- tions in the country in search of just the right tree. On some choose -and - cut farms, the growers may wel- come the family with hot chocolate, a bonfire or a wagon ride through fields covered with beautifully shaped trees. Making the right choice is never easy, especially when it comes to Christmas trees. Discussions on the matter are always lively. Is the tree big enough or will it fit in the house? Is it full on every side? Is a pine tree with its long soft needles more beautiful than a spruce or fir with their shorter, stiffer needles? Decisions are difficult but sooner or later everyone agrees on the per- fect tree. Decorating the tree is an espe- cially important job that is shared by everyone in the family. These days glittering glass ornaments, electric lights and shining tinsel have replaced the gilded fruits, pine cones, sweets, apples and candles that were once used as decorations. But the ceremony itself has changed little over the centuries. Glowing with colour and light and topped with a star or radiant angel, the Christmas tree, green and lush in the winter, is a symbol that life is eternal while the gifts below it are reminders of the love, joy and close ties that are shared by families and friends. The German folk song, "0 Tan- nenbaum", says: Not only in the summer's glow But 'mid the winter's frost and snow O faithful pine, 0 faithful pine, You're true and green forever. As it has for centuries, the ever- green still symbolizes our belief in renewed life and the hope and faith that lives in all mankind, regardless of race or creed. It is a symbol of joy and a delight to all. * Reprinted in part from the As- sociation's Education Kit. (Information supplied by The Christmas Tree Growers Associa- tion of Ontario) i -1 14 t 4 3 A -1 V r t 1 France, VanOss Grade 5, Precious Blood ShocJ Charlotte's Web 1 Limerick By Mandy Fox, Grade 6/7 Zurich Public School There once was a girl named Mandy. She came in very handy. While putting up the Christmas tree. 'Cause she did all the work, not me. McCurdy Public School students perform Charlotte's Web, the Second Generation, for residents of the Exeter Villa on Wednesday morning. Christmas Is... By Paul Van Der Spek, Grade 3 Exet61Pbblie Selibbi' Christmas is... All about falling snow. The elves are working hard today. I'm glad it snowed so Santa's sleigh can land here on Christmas eve. Fire deaths down, smoke alarms up OTTAWA - Twenty-five years ago the annual fire fatality rate in this country was around 7.5 to 8 per 100,000 population. Now it's about 1.4, or just over 400 fatali- ties per year, almost 80 per cent of which are in home fires. "That's a pretty impressive drop," says Canada Safety Council presi- dent Emile Therien. A National Angus Reid Poll commissioned by the Canada Safety Council with financial as- sistance from the Canada Mort- gage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reveals that Canadians are very conscious of fire safety. • Ninety-five per cent of Cana- dian homes have at least one smoke alarm - and that may ex- plain why home fire deaths have dropped dramatically since the early 1970s. • Almost all respondents (99 per cent) classified smoke alarms al important life-saving devices, although only 65 per cent knew they are mandatory. Safety experts have long main- tained that smoke alarms are a key factor in this drop. During the mid 1970s and through the 1980s, smoke alarms were first promot- ed, then mandated in jurisdictions across Canada. Mr. Therien points out that in- vestigations into home fire deaths very often reveal that a smoke alarm did not sound. These fail- ures - usually due to product ob- solescence or deterioration, poor maintenance (such as dead bat- teries), or battery removal - are preventable. All smoke detectors sold in Canada must be certified by Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC). Properly installed and maintained, they are reliable life saving devices, he says. Last month's survey provides the first public data on use of and knowledge about smoke alarms. The Canada Safety Council un- dertook the survey as a bench- mark to help establish priorities and monitor future changes in at- titudes, awareness and behaviour with regard to smoke alarm use. • Seven per cent of those who have battery-operated alarms ad- mitted they have removed the bat- teries to use in another product, such as a toy, flashlight or remote control. A dangerous practice, notes Mr. Therien. If you're giv- ing a Christmas present that re- quires batteries, include them. • Better yet, give a new smoke alarm to someone on your Christ- mas list whose alai is 10 years Kb old or more. Smoke alarms are manufactured to last 10 years; af- ter that they should be replaced. In the study, 55 per cent of re- spondents thought smoke alarms should be entirely replaced every five years, erring on the side of safety. However, eight per cent thought smoke alarms never need to be replaced. • The Canada Safety Council recommends replacing batteries every six months. Of the 80 per cent of respondents who had a battery-operated alarm, about one-third said they did this. Al- most 40 per cent replace their bat- teries once a year, but more than one-fifth do so only when the alarm starts beeping. • CSC also recommends testing your smoke alarm twice a year. This can be done by exposing it to smoke from a snuffed -out can- dle; the alarm should sound with- in 20 seconds. Here too, aware- ness is good. The National Angus Reid Poll conducted 1,520 telephone inter- views between November 26 and December 2, 1996 among a repre- sentative cross-section of Canadi- ans 18 years of age and older. The results are accurate within +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20. The findings are generally good news, according to the Canada Safety Council. They show the majority of Canadians know the value of smoke alarms and how to make sure they work. Smoke alarm basics Most home fire deaths are caused by smoke inhalation. A smoke alarm will warn you of a fire in time to let you escape. Here are some safety tips: • Install smoke alarms on each level of your home and outside each sleeping area. • Never remove the batteries to use in another product. • Test smoke alarm batteries monthly by pushing the button on the unit, and replace them at least once a year • Purchase smoke alarms that have the ULC label, showing they are certified by the Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada • Test your smoke alarm twice a year by pushing the test button or exposing it to smoke to see if the smoke triggers the alarm • Clean your smoke alarm by gently vacuuming the inside and wiping the inside of the cover with a damp cloth • Replace smoke alarms every 10 years. We wish to draw your attention in our 'Christmas Countdown Sale' Flyer. Page 10 - Champion Jr. In -Line Skates, 84-7254X. The option points should read 250, NOT 2500 We sincerely regret an.' inconvenience we may hati,' caused you. enote352-96 All Zone; tmodowlitutmtgwairmot,tgarl 44 pi k v Visit any service area of our associaton. It will be enjoyable, educational and enlightening Phone Iris 237-3637 Comnrunilty living — South Huron Box 29, Dashwood, Ont. 4.1 odolittgwamodittamtkplitomf NOEL. .May the sights and sounds of Christmas bring joy and peace to your heart. We wish you and yours the best Christmas ever. From the Management and Staf • • .• • Hay Communication Co-operative Limited • t ONE YEAR RATES • Ontario $35.00 + $2.45 GST= $37.45 Canada $63. + $4.41 GST = $67.41 • Outside Canada $102.00 + $7.14 GST = $109.41 • Ontario $63.00 + $4.41 GST = $67.41 GIVE THEM A SUBS 9" N TO THE TIMES ADVOCATE 4