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12.14.2010

Evergreens...

You see them everywhere during the holiday season. They give you the "warm and fuzzies." It doesn't really feel like Christmas unless you have some greenery around. But this year I got to thinking, "Why? Why the green kind of prickly stuff?" Well besides the obvious during the winter it is basically the only thing that has color, there are other traditions and the smells are a holiday tradition, along with the baking and such. 


Its hard to explain how a lit Christmas tree makes you feel. The earliest record of a specific tradition of a decorated tree indoors during winter was a Christmas tree in 1521, in Alsace, Germany. There were no printed books in those days so the plays were a way to pass on to new generations the cherished customs and traditions of the culture. The plays started with Adam and Eve and ended with the resurrection of Christ. As the plays gained popularity in the fifteenth century natural elements were blended with Christian theology. Spiritual and materialistic influences blended in contrast. A pronounced prop in the plays was a fir tree decorated with apples representing the Garden Of Eden. And I guess you could say the rest is history! 


I have been thinking of the benefits of having a real tree, if you are not allergic and the one benefit that stands out in my mind is the fact that artificial trees are made oversees. So where does all the profit go? Certainly not here. Not cool. Oregon has a huge amount of Christmas tree farms and in a later post I have some info on something really neat larger cities are doing, but its totally possible for us small town peeps. 


Blessings!

1 comment:

  1. I love having a real tree! We actually go out to rancher's pasture to get a cedar tree. They aren't wanted in most pastures so it works out well:)

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