Page 12 - Oundle Life December 2023

IT’S TREE
TIME
The humble Christmas Tree
Foremost in our Christmas celebrations will be the humble Christmas Tree. Standing proud in our homes, the twinkling lights and decorations evoking a sense of wonder
interwove into the Christian holiday of Christmas. The modern tradition of cutting an evergreen tree and bringing it inside the home
and magic and crowned with a star
or angel – protecting the bounty of presents amassing at its foot. How
did this beloved tradition become so intertwined and ever-present with our festive celebrations?
the tree at The Rockefeller Center in New York boasts an incredible 50,000 lights!
to adorn with candles and decorations comes to us from Germany. It was Queen Victoria who made this German tradition fashionable across Britain. Although familiar to her growing up with German relatives, it became the very fashionable thing to do in 1848. The Illustrated London News published a picture of Victoria alongside husband Prince Albert with their children
The origins of bringing evergreens
into the home can be traced back to
ancient times. The Winter Solstice
was celebrated by bringing boughs of holly or mistletoe inside signifying the victory of life and light over death and darkness. As Christianity spread, these ancient traditions
surrounding a giant fir tree adorned with candles and decorations, with presents placed underneath. This is how the tradition, as we know it, began.
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