The Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-12-02, Page 51Page 6
The Christmas tree has a long history
To most people on this continent the
Christmas tree is a dazzling symbol of
Yuletide gaiety. But many are unaware of
the long and fascinating history behind this
familiar Christmas sight.
In ancient Greece, for example, the fir
was sacred to the worshippers of Dionysius,
and a branch tipped with cones and twined
with ivy wik carried in his honor. The wood
of the silver fir was used in the ceiling of
Solomon's temple.
Romans of pre -Christian times decorated
a tall conifer in celebration of the arrival of
winter. And primitive European tribes took.
fir trees into their homes to please the "tree
spirits" who might then reward them with
immortality.
Offerings Given
In the Votjak tribe of early Finland, the fir
tree was regarded as sacred, and certain
branches were thought of as family gods to
which sacrifices must be made. Offerings of
bread, meat and drink were given to a tree
placed on the mantel; and the Votjaks
believed that a new house couldn't be built
unless a fir was placed under the roof, a
cloth spread before the tree, and sacrifices
laid out on the cloth!
The Ostyak tribe of Siberia used a fir pole
to represent the fir tree, and they, too, plac-
ed sacrifices before it. According to Dr.
Oswald Hoffman of the Lutheran Hour radio
program, one of the probable reasons for the
popularity of the fir tree as a religious sym-
bol was the fact that it was an evergreen; it
always flourished through each of the four
seasons, and was symbolic of a beloved God
who was immoral.
In ancient Germany, the fir was said to
cure gout! Some patients believed that if
they went to a fir tree after sundown on
three successive Fridays and recited a
rhyme, they would transfer their gout to the
tree; if it withered and died, the cure was
thought to be working.
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Tree of Paradise
Germans of the Middle Ages put on
church plays in which a "Tree of Paradise
was used to represent the garden of Eden.
When authorities put a stop to public
displays of this nature, the tree was
transferred to the home, where some
families hung cookies and fruit on it.
The first person to put candles on a
Christmas tree was the 16th century Ger-
man theologian Martin Luther. Dr. Hoffman
relates that while walking home one night
shortly before Christmas, Martin Luther
felt a strong tie between the lovely forest he
was in, the starry heavens above, and his
love for God.
At home he placed tapers on a little
evergreen tree to recapture the scene for his
children by showing them how beautiful the
stars had looked through the high branches
of the fir forest as they winked in the skies.
The custom of decorating a Christmas
tree spread throughout Germany, and even-
tually throughout Europe. It was introduced
in England in 1841 by Prince Albert, Queen
Victoria's German husband. German im-
migrants
mmigrants brought the practice to the U.S. in
the 19th century. The first Christmas tree in
America was displayed in Cambridge,
Mass., in 1832.
The early .20th century saw candles
replaced by electric light bulbs as a safety
measure, but fondness for setting up a glit-
tering tree remained strong.
Superstitions
Some people regard it as unlucky to have
an odd number of Christmas lights on the
tree, and there are many who believe it is
necessary to remove the tree before Twelfth
Night, or Epiphany. Other people say it is
important that decorations be removed
before Candlemas (Feb. 2) or "misfortune"
will follow.
In Central Europe it was thought that
death of the master or mistress of the
household would follow if a fir tree rutside
the home were struck by lightning. And in
medieval Bavaria, poachers ate the seeds of
a fir tree before dawn on St. John's morn to
make themselves invisible from lawmen!
In modern North America, however, the
Christmas tree is looked upon as a symbol of
joy and good will to others. And, although
it's straight and green, many children see it
as curved, and many -colored - as the rain-
bow at the bottom of which, on Christmas
morning, they find the treasures they've
waited for breathlessly.
Turn to page 7 •
Sweets for
holiday
entertaining...
• from page 4
Crust:
In bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in
butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Press evenly over bottom of lightly greased
8 -inch (20 cm) square baking pan. Bake in
350°F .(180°C) oven for 15 minutes or until
edges begin to brown. Remove from oven;
cool for about 10 minutes.
Topping:
While crust is baking, in bowl, combine
sugar, flour and baking powder, salt and
lemon rind. Beat together lemon juice and
eggs. Stir into sugar mixture until smooth.
Pour over warm crust. Bake in 350°F (180°C)
oven for 15 minutes or until top is set.
Sprinkle icing sugar over top. Cool in pan.
Cut into bars. Makes 18 bars.
To freeze: place in waxed paper -lined box
or cookie tin. Separate layers with waxed
paper. Wrap, seal and label.