CAN YOU HEAR JINGLE BELLS AROUND.. ALL SET TO DECORATE THE TREE?

DECEMBER… Time to say goodbye to yet another year full of memories… The time of the year when almost everyone feels good and happy… Cold breeze, coffee and sweaters all around the globe… and most important – Time to decorate your Christmas tree!

The Christmas tree is one of the most popular and cherished Christmas customs and it is followed by all irrespective of their religious faith. Each year, 35-40 million live trees are purchased and decorated in the United States alone. But when, where and how did this custom begin? Lately I happened to read about the various stories of the origin of this tradition and here I am – sharing it with my folks!

Firstly, where did the idea of taking a tree and putting it in front of your home come from? Evergreens have been a symbol of rebirth since ancient times. Bringing greenery into one's home during winter symbolized life in the midst of death in many cultures. It is believed that Christians first used trees at Christmas as a symbol of rebirth.

One tale comes from Germany, in much the same way that we use and decorate it today. Martin Luther is said to have cut a fir tree from his garden one Christmas Eve and placed it in the nursery of his home for his wife and kids. He wanted to show them the beauty of the snowy, dark night of the celebration of Jesus’ birth and he decorated the little tree with lighted candles, to represent the stars. From almost that time on, there are records of Christmas trees.

Yet another beautiful story spread through Europe in the 10^th century. It is supposed to have been told by an Arabian named Georg Jacob and it became a legend. On the night that Christ was born, all the trees in all the forests (including those in frozen countries) blossomed for one night and bore fruit.

A thirteenth-century French legend tells of a gigantic tree lit with candles in the forest. Some of the candles were straight and some upside down, and at the top of the tree there was an infant with a halo around his head. The tree is believed to have represented humanity, the candles - people, good and bad, and the child was Jesus.

I am positive that there are many more interesting tales about this wonderful tradition. Whatever maybe the story behind the tree, let’s just be happy that we have it in our lives. We might not realize it, but this tree is something that brings most of the families together in the busy era.

So have fun decorating your Christmas tree this year and wish you all a beautiful Christmas season!