Decorating the Christmas Tree

Day # 289

 

 

 

The tree was traditionally decorated with "roses made of colored paper, apples, wafers, tinsel, [and] sweetmeats". In the 18th century, it began to be illuminated by candles, which were ultimately replaced by Christmas lights after the advent of electrification. Today, there is a wide variety of traditional ornaments, such as garlands, baubles, tinsel, and candy canes. An angel or star might be placed at the top of the tree to represent the Angel Gabriel or the Star of Bethlehem, respectively, from the Nativity.^[6][7] Edible items such as gingerbread, chocolate and other sweets are also popular and are tied to or hung from the tree's branches with ribbons. (Wikipedia)

Decorating the Christmas Tree

The first person to bring a Christmas Tree into a house, in the way we know it today, may have been the 16th century German preacher Martin Luther. A story is told that, one night before Christmas, he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches. It was so beautiful, that he went home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of heaven to come to earth at Christmas.


  See you very soon!

Jewels 

PS There is unique Christmas ornament hanging in my tree... the Christmas Pickle. It was a gift from a friend... and apparently it is a German tradition. Doing some research.. it is not. Woolworth's in the 1800's starting to sell glass fruit ornaments for Christmas tree and the pickle was included.  Legend says that the first child/person who finds the pickle in the tree gets a special gift from... Santa.. St. Nickolas or mom... There are a few stories/reasons about the pickle... there are many cool traditions and the stories behind the traditions...  .... have fun searching Google! 

Jewels.