| Your child's just reached the age where Christmas | | | | people to bring actual trees indoors-a mid-winter |
| really matters. All the preparations, all the planning | | | | symbol of the promise of the coming warmth of |
| and decorating, everything about the holidays is | | | | spring.The German Saxons may have been the |
| an exciting experience for him. Along with the | | | | first to light their trees with candles, and to adorn |
| excitement comes the curiosity-about the colors, | | | | them with decorations-trinkets of good fortune. |
| the songs, the traditions each family observes.As | | | | The tradition of the indoor evergreen was so |
| adults, we're used to our own family's way of | | | | strong in Germany, it's believed that the first use |
| celebrating. We hang the lights a certain way, | | | | of Christmas trees by Christians developed there, |
| bake specific cakes and cookies, we even watch | | | | with some experts placing its origin as far back as |
| certain holiday TV shows, year after | | | | the eighth century.The first recorded Christmas |
| year-because, well, that's just the way we do | | | | tree in England was in 1841, when Queen |
| it.For those families who celebrate Christmas, one | | | | Victoria's husband, German-born Prince Albert, set |
| tradition almost universal is the Christmas tree. It's | | | | up a tree in Windsor Castle. In America, German |
| perhaps the most recognized symbol of | | | | immigrants were using Christmas trees as far |
| Christmas in any home, and it's so pervasive in | | | | back as the 1830's. The custom took several |
| our culture that we rarely ask ourselves: Who | | | | decades to catch on in the U.S., as most people |
| first decided to bring a tree inside, as a way of | | | | correctly assumed its pagan origins, but by the |
| marking the holiday? Chances are, your child will | | | | 1890's the indoor decorated Christmas tree was a |
| ask at some point.Like most of our holiday | | | | staple in most American homes.Today we tend |
| traditions, the origin of the Christmas tree isn't | | | | to decorate our trees with ornaments which have |
| exactly clear, but it's probably rooted in ancient | | | | significant meaning to our lives. Early ornaments, |
| times, and probably connected to religious rituals. | | | | particularly in Europe, included even food-delicacies |
| Many ancient cultures revered evergreen trees, | | | | intended to satisfy the spirits of good luck.As far |
| which stayed green in the winter while other | | | | as your child is concerned, of course, your |
| trees were bare. The evergreens served as a | | | | Christmas tree has a completely different |
| reminder that winter would pass, and the land | | | | purpose. It's a landmark-if you had no tree, where |
| would once again be fruitful.As far back as ancient | | | | would Santa leave all his gifts?Brought to you by |
| Rome, evergreens were used as a part of the | | | | Imaginary Greetings, a regular contributor of |
| Saturnalia festival-the New Year celebration. | | | | valuable family oriented content. Find out how to |
| Romans exchanged branches and twigs of | | | | truly light up your child's eyes this holiday season |
| evergreens as a good-luck blessing.Many historians | | | | like never before with a personalized phone call |
| believe that pagans of Scandinavia were the first | | | | from Santa. |