Fraternity-Testvériség, 1960 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1960-12-01 / 12. szám

FRATERNITY

3

ELSIE LOVEJOY:

LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE

In the ninth century, the good Saint Winifred traveled about Northern Germany, preaching Christianity. One Christmas Eve, he came upon a group of people gathered around a huge oak tree to offer human sacrifice to their pagan gods. According to legend, Saint Winifred hewed down the great oak, and as it fell, a tall young fir appeared in its place. The appearance of the tree was hailed far and wide as a miracle, and from that day on, it became the custom for German families to gather about a tall evergreen on Christmas Eve.

Some historians trace the origin of lighting the Christmas tree to Martin Luther, who lived from 1483 to 1546. It is said he was strolling through the countryside one Christmas Eve, awed by the beauty of the evergreen forest under the starry sky. When he came home, he tried to re-create the scene for his family by attaching some lighted candles to a small evergreen.

These customs spread to the Scandinavian countries in the early nineteenth century, and from there to France and England. Records show that 35,000 Christmas trees were sold in Paris in 1890!

Yet the evergreen was symbolic in religious rites — even before the birth of Christ. Ancient Egyptians, when they observed the winter