The evergreen Christmas Tree

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
Your leaves are so unchanging
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
Your leaves are so unchanging
Not only green when Summer is near
But also when it's cold and drear
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
Your leaves are so unchanging

Decorating the Christmas tree has become a high point of the festive season today. In fact, a tree is a 'must' in practically every Christian home, and even in some non-Christian homes, around the world.

In Sri Lanka too, decorating the Christmas tree has gained popularity in many a home. Children are totally fascinated by it. They love not only to see the beautifully decorated tree with its creative festive ornaments and coloured lights, but also to be involved in decorating the tree, along with the adults.

Decorating the tree is one act that many families do together, in love and harmony. In fact, in certain Christian homes, it is a tradition to do so as a 'family' with the honour of placing the star (or angel as some would have it) on the top of the tree and even Switching on the lights, being given to the head of the house, the youngest or a loved one.

The Christmas tree has become such a part and parcel of Christmas that it is hard to imagine it has its roots in pagan (ancient religions which believed in many gods) customs.

Who would believe that decorating the Christmas tree or 'decking the halls with boughs of holly' are mere pagan practices which took root in Europe long ago? Today the Christmas tree is a symbolic part of the festive season and is found not only in Christian homes, but even when you step into a shop during the season.

As with most religious events, Christmas too has become highly commercialised and the markets are flooded today with various kinds of trees, both natural and artificial, and also a wide range of decorations.

Some of you may have already put up the Christmas tree in your homes or getting ready to do it today. So, let's check out the interesting facts connected with the origin of this wonder tree.

Evergreen trees and the clippings of evergreen shrubs are widely harvested in the Northern parts of the world and are used as Christmas trees promoting good cheer and hope.

When everything else on the landscape is dead or dormant, mistletoe, holly, laurels, boxwood and Christmas trees remind people of better times to come, the return of a green landscape in Spring. Did you know that Christmas tree decorating and using the clippings of evergreen shrubs as decorations for Christmas has been a controversial practice at times in Western history?

When the Roman Catholic Church decided in the fourth century to celebrate Christmas on December 25, some of the pagan celebrations such as feasting and exchanging of gifts of the Roman Saturnalia (usually held during the same time of the year), were also carried over.

The Church was vehemently (strongly) opposed to the practice of decorating houses with evergreen shrubs as this was considered a pagan practice.

About the 16th century, Puritans in England too strictly forbade the decorating of the Christmas tree and using clippings of evergreen shrubs as Christmas decorations.. The traditions were deep rooted in Germany by this time and the Christians continued decorating the Christmas tree.

As decorating the Christmas tree was popular in Germany it was introduced to England by the Georgian Kings who came from Germany. At this time also, German merchants living in England continued with the practice of decorating their homes with a Christmas tree.

The British public were not fond of the German Monarchy. So they did not copy this practice which came down from the German royalty. This is the reason why the Christmas tree did not gain popularity in Britain at that time. A few families did have Christmas trees. But this was more due to the influence of their German neighbours than from the influence of the Royal Court.

It was during the reign of Queen Victoria, that the Christmas tree became popular. The people began to decorate the tree with tinsel, ornaments, candles and small beads. In the 1850s, various fancy- shaped glass bead garlands and short garlands were made from necklace beads for the trees. In fact every home had more than one Christmas tree though small in size. The trees were kept on tables with gifts to each member of the family, underneath the tree.

In America too, the Christmas tree was introduced by German soldiers. The German community in Pennsylvania had Christmas trees as early as 1747. Although looked down upon by Puritans in America too, the practice of decorating the Christmas tree gained popularity with the mass influx (arrival of large number of people) of Catholic immigrants from European countries in the 19th century.

As early as 1912, the first illuminated Christmas trees appeared in Boston's public areas. Outdoor Christmas trees became so commonplace in the United States of America and Canada that soon this practice reached Europe as well and became widespread toward the middle of the 20th Century.

Just like in the Mediterranean countries which were not very much interested in a Christmas tree, but preferred to display a Creche or a Crib, in Sri Lanka too most Christian homes did have a Crib adorning their homes.

But of late, the practice of decorating a Christmas tree has become increasingly popular with the festive season becoming more and more commercialised. There is a big demand for Christmas trees in Colombo, and the coastal belt north of Colombo upto Chilaw.

One could see Christmas trees being sold on the roadside during the season and even though they are expensive, many still prefer to put up natural trees rather than the artificial ones sold in the shops.

Compiled by Taniya Moses.

***

* The earliest record of an evergreen tree being decorated as a Christmas tree is from the region of Alsace in Germany in 1521.

* Christmas trees were first introduced into France in 1837.

* They were probably used in America in the 1700s.

* Even by 1850 Charles Dickens was still referring to the Christmas tree as a 'new German toy.'

* The first lighted Christmas tree displayed in public was in Boston, USA in 1912.

* President Calvin Coolidge of USA lit up the first national Christmas tree on the lawn of the White House in 1923.

Carols, an integral part of Christmas

One cannot think of Christmas without carols. Come December, we begin to hear carols being played over the radio and television. Christians begin to play Christmas carols in their homes. In shopping malls too, carols are played to add cheer and spread the spirit of Christmas among customers. Carols have thus become an integral part of Christmas.

Carols are sung worldwide by Christians, many in their original version. "Silent Night" and "O Come All Ye Faithful" are two examples of the universal popularity of carols in almost every country, the faithful followers of Christianity have composed carols in their vernacular (commonly spoken language or dialect of a particular place) and popularised them over the year.

"Re tharu babalanava'..is a classic example of a Christmas song that gained popularity from the very moment of its composition by the famed Fr. Marceline Jayakody. There is hardly any Christian in the country who is not familiar with this carol.

Carols were first sung as pagan songs expressing praise and joy during the Winter Solstice. Carols were also sung during the four seasons, but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has really survived as early Christians took over the pagan Solstice Celebrations for Christmas and gave people Christmas songs to sing instead of the pagan songs. Christmas carols which were then composed mostly followed the verse-refrain (chorus) pattern.

The theme often revolved around a saint, the Christ Child or the Virgin Mary. Latin being the official language of the Catholic Church, carols were also composed in Latin. But people soon lost interest in carols as they could not understand Latin. Hence the need to write them in one's native language or one that is easily understood.

There was a time when carols were banned in England and Protestants had to flee Europe due to the pressure from the Catholic Church. They introduced the Christmas carols to their new homes, across the world. In the new-found freedom in the United States, these old carols were given a second birth.

However, it was St. Francis of Assissi who wrote Nativity plays in Italy and once again popularised carols. The people in these plays sang songs telling the story of the birth. Sometimes the choruses of these new carols were in Latin, but normally they were all in a language that the people watching the play could understand and join in.

The new carols spread to France, Spain, Germany and other European countries. Most carols were woven around untrue stories on the life of the Holy Family, but were seen as entertaining. The words were changed by the local people whenever they were travelling, to appease the listeners.

In England, during the Victorian period, carols become popular once again. Many new carols were written and one of the famous carols was "Good King Wenceslas". Carol services in church were becoming popular as did the custom of singing carols in the street.

A practice that is still very popular all over Europe are, candlelight carol services. A group of singers sing carols to passers-by and even visits homes. Visiting homes was popular even in Sri Lanka many years ago, but today carol services are held only in churches or religious functions.

There are many Christmas carols which have been popularised all over the world. "Silent Night" or "Stille Nach' in its original version, is by far the most popular Christmas carol.

Its author, an Austrian born Joseph Mohr, wrote it in 1818. The music is by a school friend of his. The theme is simple but profound; it says how a small circle of people witnessed the birth of the saviour but the significance of this Christ Child has no boundary of any kind today.

"O Come All Ye Faithful" or "Adeste Fideles" is believed to be a Latin hymn of French or German authorship. It has been translated by Frederick Oakleyi Governor of Madras in India.

Oakley translated the hymn's Latin text for Congregational use in 1841 and in the people's Hymnal of 1867, the first two lines were "Ye faithful approach ye, Joyfully triumphant." The splendid tune which dates from 1751 is ascribed to John Reading of Winchester Cathedral by Vincent Novello who harmonised it.

What are the Christmas carols you like? Find out how they originated.

Compiled by Taniya Moses

Seasonal trivia

Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer

The famous Christmas song 'Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer' was originally a poem created by Robert May, an American advertising executive.

The poem was created by him to be given away to children by the Santa Claus employed by a department store, at Christmas. It was the famous singer Gene Antry who recorded a musical version of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer which was composed by Johnny Marks. According to the song, Santa has eight other reindeer, apart from Rudolph, drawing his sleigh. Do you remember their names? They are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen.

The famous poem written by Clement Clark Moor titled 'Twas the night before Christmas' also mentions the names of Santa's reindeer.

Christmas cracker

The Christmas cracker is also called the bon-bon and was the creation of a businessman named Tom Smith. He developed a sugared almond wrapped in a twisted tissue paper into the bon-bon we are familiar with today. It is said the idea to introduce crackers into the bon-bons came about after he heard the crackle (sound of repeated small cracks) of a log he threw into the fire.

Bon-bons are not used by many in the old form today. They are used more as decorative items on tables and other places. In its original form, bon-bons were filled with small items and pulled apart by two people.

As they came apart with a loud cracking noise, the items inside fell and were picked up by the people. Most children eagerly awaited this because they could collect lots of lovely little gifts.

Greeting cards

The first Christmas card which went on sale was designed by an artist named John Calcott Horsley from London, England.

The card which carried the simple message "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" inside was designed for a wealthy businessman named Sir Henry Cole in 1843. He wanted it to send to his friends and professional acquaintances. Of the original thousand cards, a dozen are still believed to be in existence in private collections.

Today we use the word 'merry' to signify joy, and cheerfulness, but in the olden days, it was a spiritual word and meant 'blessed'. Printed cards soon became the rage in England and then Germany, but it took more than thirty years for them to become popular in the United States.

It was a lithographer named Louis Prang from Boston (a native of Germany) who started publishing cards in 1875. He is known as the 'Father of the American Christmas card'.

Santa Claus

Father Christmas, Pere Noel (French), Nathhal Seeya (Sinhala) or Nattar Thaththa (Tamil) - call him by any name you like, because children all over the world know him and love him dearly. No matter what controversial opinions are expressed about the necessity of giving such prominence to this jolly old man, he is here to stay.

There are many legends about the origin of this fat, jolly, silver-haired and beared old man who brings gifts for children at Christmas.

The most popular one is about the patron saint of children, St. Nicholas, a priest in Turkey who was recognised for his generosity to the needy. It is believed that the Santa we know today is a representation of St. Nicholas.