A beautifully decorated evergreen tree, with colored lights ablaze inspires in many warm memories of Christmases long past. The Christmas tree has become one of the most beloved and well know holiday symbols.
The tradition of a holiday tree has been around since ancient times and has played an important part in winter celebrations for many centuries. Many pagan festivals used trees when honoring their gods and spirits. In Northern Europe the Vikings considered the evergreen a symbol and reminder that the darkness and cold of winter would end and the green of spring would return. The Druids of ancient England and France decorated oak trees with fruit and candles to honor their gods of harvests. At the festival Saturnalia the Romans decorated trees with trinkets and candles.
The use of a Christmas tree indoors appears to have begun in Germany. German Christians would bring trees into their homes to decorate. In some areas evergreen trees were scarce so the families would build a Christmas pyramid, simple wooden structures which they decorated with branches and candles.
The tradition of the Christmas tree eventually spread through out Europe. The English Royalty helps popularize the tree in England by decorating the first Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1841. Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, decorated the first English Christmas Tree with candles, candies, fruits, and gingerbread.
When the German immigrants went to American they also brought along their Christmas trees. In the 1830's most Americans still considered the Christmas tree an oddity. One of the first public displays of a Christmas tree was set up by German Settlers in Pennsylvania. At the time many still considered the tree to be a symbol of pagans and it wasn't until the late 1800's that Americans began accepting the Christmas tree.
Early Christmas trees were often decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored popcorn and candles. The invention of electricity in the early 20th century and use of electrical Christmas lights helped spread the use of the Christmas tree.
It is now common in most communities through out the US to feature public displays of Christmas trees. Every year the President of the United States lights the National Christmas Tree in Washington and in New York skaters spin beneath the lighted tree of Rockefeller Center. Through Europe and the rest of the world the Christmas tree has also become readily accepted and adored.
圣誕樹(shù)一直是慶祝圣誕節(jié)不可少的裝飾物，如果家中沒(méi)有圣誕樹(shù)，就大大減少了過(guò)節(jié)氣氛。關(guān)于圣誕樹(shù)的來(lái)源有多種不同的傳說(shuō)。其中一個(gè)是說(shuō)：大約在十六世紀(jì)，圣誕樹(shù)最先出現(xiàn)在德國(guó)，德國(guó)人把長(zhǎng)青的松柏枝拿到屋中去擺設(shè)，將之成為圣誕樹(shù)。后來(lái)，由德國(guó)人馬丁路德把蠟燭放在樹(shù)林中的樅樹(shù)枝上，然后點(diǎn)燃蠟燭，使它看起來(lái)像是引導(dǎo)人們到伯利恒去。而今日，人們已經(jīng)改用粉色的小燈泡了。
另一個(gè)傳說(shuō)記載。在很久以前，曾有一位農(nóng)民，在圣誕節(jié)那天遇到一個(gè)窮苦小孩，他熱情地接待了這個(gè)小孩。小孩臨走時(shí)折下一根松枝插在地上，松枝立即變成一棵樹(shù)，上面掛滿了禮物，以答謝農(nóng)民的好意。
圣誕樹(shù)真正出現(xiàn)在圣誕節(jié)時(shí)，首先見(jiàn)于德國(guó)，之后又傳入歐洲和美國(guó)，并以其優(yōu)美的姿態(tài)，成為圣誕節(jié)不可缺少的裝飾。圣誕樹(shù)的種類繁多，有天然松柏圣誕樹(shù)、也有人造圣誕樹(shù)及白色圣誕樹(shù)。每棵圣誕樹(shù)上都掛滿琳瑯滿目的裝飾品，但每棵樹(shù)的頂端必定有個(gè)特大的星星，而且也只有該家庭的一家之主可以把這棵希望之星掛上。
The tradition of a holiday tree has been around since ancient times and has played an important part in winter celebrations for many centuries. Many pagan festivals used trees when honoring their gods and spirits. In Northern Europe the Vikings considered the evergreen a symbol and reminder that the darkness and cold of winter would end and the green of spring would return. The Druids of ancient England and France decorated oak trees with fruit and candles to honor their gods of harvests. At the festival Saturnalia the Romans decorated trees with trinkets and candles.
The use of a Christmas tree indoors appears to have begun in Germany. German Christians would bring trees into their homes to decorate. In some areas evergreen trees were scarce so the families would build a Christmas pyramid, simple wooden structures which they decorated with branches and candles.
The tradition of the Christmas tree eventually spread through out Europe. The English Royalty helps popularize the tree in England by decorating the first Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1841. Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, decorated the first English Christmas Tree with candles, candies, fruits, and gingerbread.
When the German immigrants went to American they also brought along their Christmas trees. In the 1830's most Americans still considered the Christmas tree an oddity. One of the first public displays of a Christmas tree was set up by German Settlers in Pennsylvania. At the time many still considered the tree to be a symbol of pagans and it wasn't until the late 1800's that Americans began accepting the Christmas tree.
Early Christmas trees were often decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored popcorn and candles. The invention of electricity in the early 20th century and use of electrical Christmas lights helped spread the use of the Christmas tree.
It is now common in most communities through out the US to feature public displays of Christmas trees. Every year the President of the United States lights the National Christmas Tree in Washington and in New York skaters spin beneath the lighted tree of Rockefeller Center. Through Europe and the rest of the world the Christmas tree has also become readily accepted and adored.
圣誕樹(shù)一直是慶祝圣誕節(jié)不可少的裝飾物，如果家中沒(méi)有圣誕樹(shù)，就大大減少了過(guò)節(jié)氣氛。關(guān)于圣誕樹(shù)的來(lái)源有多種不同的傳說(shuō)。其中一個(gè)是說(shuō)：大約在十六世紀(jì)，圣誕樹(shù)最先出現(xiàn)在德國(guó)，德國(guó)人把長(zhǎng)青的松柏枝拿到屋中去擺設(shè)，將之成為圣誕樹(shù)。后來(lái)，由德國(guó)人馬丁路德把蠟燭放在樹(shù)林中的樅樹(shù)枝上，然后點(diǎn)燃蠟燭，使它看起來(lái)像是引導(dǎo)人們到伯利恒去。而今日，人們已經(jīng)改用粉色的小燈泡了。
另一個(gè)傳說(shuō)記載。在很久以前，曾有一位農(nóng)民，在圣誕節(jié)那天遇到一個(gè)窮苦小孩，他熱情地接待了這個(gè)小孩。小孩臨走時(shí)折下一根松枝插在地上，松枝立即變成一棵樹(shù)，上面掛滿了禮物，以答謝農(nóng)民的好意。
圣誕樹(shù)真正出現(xiàn)在圣誕節(jié)時(shí)，首先見(jiàn)于德國(guó)，之后又傳入歐洲和美國(guó)，并以其優(yōu)美的姿態(tài)，成為圣誕節(jié)不可缺少的裝飾。圣誕樹(shù)的種類繁多，有天然松柏圣誕樹(shù)、也有人造圣誕樹(shù)及白色圣誕樹(shù)。每棵圣誕樹(shù)上都掛滿琳瑯滿目的裝飾品，但每棵樹(shù)的頂端必定有個(gè)特大的星星，而且也只有該家庭的一家之主可以把這棵希望之星掛上。