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| Sunday, 19 December 2004 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Origin of customs and traditions Christmas tree
In 1841 Prince Albert of Germany gave his wife, Queen Victoria of England a gift of a Christmas tree. This was reputedly the first Christmas tree in England, but the custom spread quickly. German immigrants took the Christmas tree to other parts of Europe and to the United States and Canada, where it soon became a popular tradition. Blown-glass ornaments, tin angels, paper chains, candles, cornucopias filled with sugarplums and other decorations made the simple evergreen tree into a beautiful parlour centrepiece at Christmas.However, there are many other stories as to how the Christmas tree originated. Carols
One of the earliest English carols is the 'Boar's Head Carol' printed in 1521. Such songs consisted of an unharmonised melody that alternated verse and burden (refrain) tunes. They were probably related to the carol, a chain dance to verse-and-barden songs. Between 1350 and 1550, in a major outpouring of English art music, composers wrote sophisticated polyphonic (multiart) carols. The carol subsequently had two lines of development. The popular carol merged with the folk song and with the broadside songs sold on city streets. Modern folk include the 'Cherry Tree Carol' and 'I saw three ships'. Composed carols gained variety in form in the 17th century, while their texts began to centre on Christmas.After a decline, the composed carol was revived around 1800 by religious reformers promoting devotional hymn singing. Their efforts gave rise to newly written carols such as 'Hark, the herald angels sing' by Methodist clergyman Charles Wesley and to translations of foreign carols such as 'Silent night' and 'O come, all ye faithful'. Christmas wreath
Mistletoe
Christmas cards The practice of exchanging Christmas cards also became a widespread custom in the 19th century. Europeans had distributed wood prints of religious themes for Christmas during the Middle Age (5th century to 15th century). In 1843, English illustrator John Callcott Horsley created the first modern Christmas card. The card depicted a family celebration and its caption read 'Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You'. In United States, German-born printer Louis Prang made advances in colour lithography that enabled him to mass-produce a colourful Christmas card in 1875. The card sold extremely well and soon the custom of exchanging cards spread throughout the country. Christmas colours
This is an evergreen tree with sharply pointed, glossy leaves and red berries. It is used in making Christmas wreaths and other decorations. The needle like points of the leaves were thought to resemble the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was crucified. The red berries symbolised the drops of blood he shed. |
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The German Christmas tree has acquired popularity throughout the world.
As early as the 17th century, Germans had transformed this pagan symbol of
fertility into the Christian symbol of rebirth. According to legend, the
Christmas tree tradition began with the founder of German Protestantism,
Martin Luther. While walking through the forest on Christmas Eve, Martin
Luther was so moved by the beauty of the starlit fir trees that he brought
one indoors and decorated it with candles to remind his children of God's
creation.
Carols are religious songs, usually associated with Christmas, but also
celebrating Easter and folk holidays such as May Day. Carols known
throughout Europe, flourished in late medieval England.
Like the evergreens used as Christmas trees, Christmas wreaths too
symbolise the strength of life overcoming the forces of winter. In ancient
Rome, people used decorative wreaths as a sign of victory and celebration.
The custom of hanging a Christmas wreath on the front door of the home
probably came from this practice.
Mistletoe is an evergreen plant with dark leaves and shiny white
berries. Ancient Celtic priests considered the plant sacred and gave
people sprigs of it to use as charms. The custom of decorating homes with
mistletoe probably came from its use as a ceremonial plant by early
Europeans. In many countries, a person standing under a sprig of mistletoe
may be kissed.
The traditional colours of Christmas are green and red. Green
represents the continuance of life through the winter and the Christian
belief in eternal life through Christ. Red symbolises the blood that Jesus
shed at his crucifixion. Christmas decorations that feature these colours
include the Christmas tree, the Christmas wreath, holly and mistletoe.
