The Christmas scenes feature a bright and colorful protagonist: the Christmas tree. There are many versions about who invented it, where does its origin lie and why it is assembled on December 8 in various countries of the world. So if you haven’t placed yours yet, today is the time.
The Christmas tree originated from an ancient Celtic tradition where they adorned an oak tree at winter solstice to ensure that the sun would return. Also the Druid priests of Central Europe worshiped a tree called Yggdrasil.
So originally the tradition of decorating a tree, which later became the Christmas tree we know, It is a way of thanking and honoring nature for what it has given us throughout the year, and the spheres would represent the fruits. Around the Christmas tree there are several symbolisms, here you can know some of them.
Other versions indicate that around the year 1500, Martin Luther, the theologian who created Protestantism, was walking through a forest and was amazed by the brightness of the stars at the tips of the trees, so he cut a branch and took it home.
In the Catholic tradition, the German evangelizer Saint Boniface is credited with the use of a fir or pine tree decorated with ornaments, candles and apples to celebrate the birth of Jesus. In addition, its triangular shape is associated with the religious symbol of the Holy Trinity. The reality is that, regardless of its origin, the Christmas tree has become a tradition that has even been left out of religious beliefs to become an indispensable ornament of the time.
Why is it placed on December 8?
While in some countries like the United States the Christmas tree is generally already set to celebrate Thanksgiving, in other countries like Argentina and Italy families wait until December 8 to put it together and to start the December festivities that culminate around January 8.
AND is that the date coincides with the Day of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, a Catholic holiday that is considered the largest and most popular around the Virgin Mary in those nations. In other countries such as Mexico, the biggest feast of Mary is on December 12, when according to Catholic tradition the Virgin appeared on the hill of Tepeyac, in the Mexican capital.
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