O Tannenbaum

Ah the Christmas tree! An annual tradition in the family homes that observe the holiday . What is your tradition like? Do you pull an artificial tree from a box in the attic or basement and put it up right after thanksgiving? Do you visit a corner gas station or garden center that has turned part of its lot into a temporary Christmas tree lot. Or do you tag and cut a fresh tree by venturing  out into a field of trees at an actual tree farm . What ever your preferred method most families celebrating the holiday will wind up with a tree indoors during the Christmas season

According to the History channel bringing green plant material into peoples homes in winter started before it was used as  Christmas decoration . The actual Christmas tree is believed to have been started in Germany. There is a thought that The Protestant reformer Martin Luther , After walking home watching the twinkling stars  through the evergreens recreated this scene for his family by affixing candles to a tree in his house. This was in the 16th century. In the 19th century Most Americans thought the Christmas tree to be an oddity. It apparently wasn’t until about 1830 that German settlers in Pennsylvania displayed a tree. Although as far back as the 1740s some German  settlers had them in their homes. As late as 1840 some looked at the trees as a Pagan symbol. I can say as a practicing Christian and a tree lover I’m glad this is not the case anymore! The tree has become mainstream and many churches even display them.

So what ever your family tradition. Colored lights or white , Twinkling lights or not I hope your house is full of love ,light and the smell of evergreen this holiday season!