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4 ®y KATHLEEN BROWN * ^Rappahannock N«n Coropondenl
In ancient Britain, the
Druids believed that every
living thing had a spirit. They worshipped the tree for this reason. Today, 2,000 years later, we use the tree as the center of our Christmas celebration. It embodies the spirit of Christmas. But the story of the Christmas tree in the intervening years is full of surprises.
As is the way with customs that are very old, there is disagreement about their origins. The Christmas tree is . no exception. Some people insist that it had its origin in Christian practice in Medieval passion plays. Others point with equal insistence to the pagan worship of trees and other evergreens and their importance in their festivities.
We do know, however, that the ancient people who built Stonehenge believed that nature everywhere was alive. Every tree or mountain had its own special deity or spirit, and these people went to great pains to keep these spirits happy.
Trees were used in their winter solstice festivities, not for their decorative value as today, but for their supernatural powers, and for bringing the world of nature indoors.
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