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Evergreens made into a Christmas wreath are another decoration that comes from Europe. The evergreen branches symbolize eternal life, while the circular shape is the emblem of eternity.
A wide-eyed child gazing at his first Christmas tree is far removed from an ancient Roman or Druid shouting incantations to a decorated tree. Yet, it is from these cultures that the Christmas tree custom originated. During their mid-winter festival, the early Romans decorated trees with bits of metal and replicas of their god, Bacchus. They also placed 12 candles on the tree in honor of their sun god.
During the same season, in Northern Europe Druids honored their main god, Woden, by tying fruit to tree branches and offering cakes, fashioned into birds, fish and animals. The Druids too placed candles on the boughs of the trees to honor their sun god.
One legend regarding the first Christmas tree says that an evergreen sprang from the center of an oak cut down by St. Boniface in eighth-century Germany. The oak symbolized paganism and its death brought an end to the old ways. The new tree was to be “the sign of endless life, for its leaves are evergreen. ”
Another legend credits Martin Luther, the founder of the 16th century Protestant movement, with being the first to add holiday decorations to an indoor tree. As he walked home through the forest one clear winter nierht, he observed the tiMi mm mm mm mm mm »
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