History of Christmas tree

Soon it will be time to think about putting up your Christmas tree.

There is something special and magical about a Christmas tree, and they appear almost everywhere today in some form or other.

I have to say that decorating the tree is my very favourite job of all before the big day, and it is always great fun deciding what decorations to use.

Some people use traditional decorations and perhaps buy one or two new ones each year to add to their collection, whereas others follow the fashion of the time.

Before tree lights came into being, small candles were widely used and there is a story that Martin Luther first put candles on a Christmas tree to remind people of the stars that shone above Bethlehem on the night of Christ’s birth.

So we shouldn’t forget about lighting up the tree because of its importance at Christmas time.

In fact there is an old German legend, which tells us the story of how a spruce tree became the very first Christmas tree.

Saint Boniface was a holy man who lived in the 8th Century and was sent from England to Germany to preach about Jesus.

One frosty night in December he was walking in a wood when he came to a group of people worshipping a Pagan god.

This was the night when offerings were to be made to their god and they had met under an oak tree to offer a human sacrifice of a little boy.

Just as they were leading the boy forward, the saint rescued him and cut the great oak tree down.

As it fell to the ground, a little fir tree, which had been growing between its roots, was revealed.

He turned to the people and told them that from that night, the little fir tree should be their holy emblem.

It should be the wood of peace and a sign of eternal life as its leaves were always green.

So when you decorate your tree this Christmas, spare a thought for the reason this is done.

Tiggy.