The Citizen, 2010-12-23, Page 37THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2010. PAGE 37.
SCOTT TOWNSENDSCOTT TOWNSEND
• FURNACES
• CENTRAL AIR
• FIREPLACES
• GAS WATER HEATERS
• IN-FLOOR HEAT
• BOILERS
PLUMBING & HEATING
Serving Your Area
519-482-3744
PLUMBING & HEATING INC.
Season’s Greetings and thank you for your patronage this past year.
Christopher M. Smith, Michael S. Falconer,
Mark R. Rushton, Amanda Rich & Staff
Funeral Homes Ltd.
Blyth Visitation Centre
Clinton Chapel 519-482-9521
As we celebrate the gladness and the glory
of this holy season, we’d like to express our
deepest feelings of friendship and goodwill to all of you.
GREETINGS OF THE SEASON
Immanuel
Best wishes
for a very
Merry Christmas
and
Happy New Year
to one and all
Jack & Sylvia NonkesSpring Breezesgreenhouses
“God with us”
519-523-9456
See you in the spring!
To our friends, neighbours, and folks we’ve
yet to meet, we’d like to extend our sincere best
wishes for a holiday that’s as beautiful as you
are, and hope that all your dreams come true
during this magical time of year.
May Your Dreams Be
Merry & Bright
We thank you for your valued patronage,
and hope you’ll visit us again, soon.
412 Queen Street, Blyth ~ Dana Weber
The Village Barber Tues. - Fri. 9 am - 5 pm
Sat. 8 am - 1 pm
519-523-9555
The stories of Christmas iconsMS –From Christmas stockingsand mistletoe to smiling Santas andburning yule logs, the symbols ofthe season are so powerful that
people seldom stop to think about
their origins. But one of the most
common symbols of Christmas – at
least in the United States and
Canada – is the twinkling Christmas
tree, which is often depicted with
piles of shiny gifts under its bottom
branches.
While most of us take these kinds
of holiday images for granted, many
of us aren’t sure where the traditions
started or how they became
associated with Christmas. Whether
you’ve always wondered about the
origins of the Christmas tree or are
simply in need of some seasonal
small talk for this year’s holiday
parties, the following should add
some insight into the origins of this
popular holiday tradition.
A Growing Tradition
In North America, the Christmas
tree has become one of the foremost
symbols of the holiday season. But
the origin of the beloved holiday
evergreen has been debated for
centuries, with some historians
asserting that it has Christian roots
and others contending that its roots
are pagan. However, many
explanations trace the custom of
having a decorated evergreen tree
inside the home to 16th century
Germany, while others go back 300
years earlier to a tradition that began
with the Miracle Plays sponsored by
local churches.
While its specific origin is unclear,
we do know that the Christmas tree
tradition spread first across Europe
and then throughout the world. In
the U.S., Christmas trees were first
seen in communities with prominent
German populations in the late 18th
and early 19th century. Two
communities in particular – Windsor
Locks, Connecticut and Easton,
Pennsylvania – lay claim to being
the “birthplace” of the North
American Christmas tree tradition.
Throughout the world, Christmas
trees are a symbol of the
continuation of life through the dark,
cold months of winter and are linked
both to the winter solstice and the
belief that the birth of Jesus brought
light into the world. In many parts of
the world, Christmas trees have long
been set up and taken down
according to the calendar.
Traditionally, they were brought into
the house on Christmas Eve and
removed the day after Twelfth Night
(Jan. 6), and varying from these
dates was considered bad luck.
Red and Green = Christmas
While the colours green and red
are now synonymous with
Christmas, the association of these
colours with the holiday originally
had nothing to do with Santa, elves
or even mistletoe. Like so much
holiday lore, the origins of the red-
and-green Christmas theme have
long been debated, but the
explanation that appears to be most
deeply rooted in fact begins in 14th
century Europe, when Adam and
Eve’s Day was celebrated each year
on Dec. 24. At that time, churches
presented dramatic performances –
called Miracle Plays – that were
intended to teach religious topics to
a largely illiterate population. For
Adam and Eve’s Day, people
gathered to watch the “Paradise
Play”, which presented the story of
Adam and Eve in the Garden of
Eden. Since no apple trees were
available in the middle of winter to
represent the Tree of Good and Evil
on stage, a pine tree with apples tied
to its branches was used instead.
The use of a “makeshift” apple
tree worked so well that many
churches adopted its use. The“Paradise Tree” eventually becameso popular in Germany that peoplestarted to erect evergreen trees in
their homes and decorate them with
red apples. Over time, the green of
the trees and the red of the apples
became widely associated with the
celebration of Christmas.
Light Up the Holiday
Before the invention of the light
bulb, families in many parts of the
world brought light into their homes
during the cold holiday season by
placing candles in their Christmas
trees. While this custom wasextremely dangerous and causedmany fires, it wasn’t until the early20th century that most people had
access to electric Christmas tree
lights.
Edward H. Johnson, a friend and
business partner of Thomas Edison,
was the first to string together lights
for the purpose of decorating a
Christmas tree in 1882. However,
Christmas light kits were not
available until 1903 and, until then,
only very wealthy families could
afford to light up their trees.
A REACH Christmas
Rylee Bechard makes some popcorn crafts during the
Regional Equine and Agriculture Centre of Huron (REACH)
Christmas party. The public event was held to get kids
involved in crafts, games and fun on Saturday, Dec. 18.
(Denny Scott photo)
Blyth
519-523-4757
Casey Boven
and family