
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. |