Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-12-19
AMYTH OFTHE j RHINE N
VARIOUS VERSIONS OF THE ORIGIN
OF CHRISTMAS TREES.

OF CHRISTMAS TREES.
How the Custom of Decorating Spruce
Has Spread to All Christian Nations-A
Legend of Martin Luther-Memories of
Tiny Tapers and Sweet Surprises.
One may read in the folklore of the
Rhine district of a mysterious tree that
blooms only on the night before Christ
mas, and the old myth assures us we
have only to go to certain spot to find
it all to be true. AS the first authentic
accounts of Christmas gift tree are in
the annals of this same Rhine neighbor
hood, may we not believe that the holy
mystery supposed to be concealed in the
blossoming tree was commemorated and
perpetuated in the decoration of the
Christmas spruce? At all events, 1t Is
in historical records Of Strasburg from
the year 1905 we first read of a real
Christmas tree. The man who has left
the record writes:
During the Christmas holidays a
spruce is set up In Strasburg homes, on
which are hung horses of many colored
paper, apples, consecrated waters, clay
cuckoos, sugar." eto,
The use of the tree spread very slow
ly during the 200 years following, and
we next read Of it in 1648 in theolog-
ical work called "Milk of the Cate
chism." This time it is not mentioned
lovingly, but the author inveighs
against it's use in the home in these
words:
''Among other frivolities with which
more than with Gods word the holy
days are celebrated the Christmas spruce
is found, which is set up in the houses
and decorated with puppets and sweet
things. Finally one shakes it, and SO
its blossoms fall. Whence comes this
custom know not. The whole thing is
child's play. Better would it be if one
allowed the children to keep holy day
around that spiritual cedar tree, Christ
Jesus"
Next we hear of it from the stand
point of the jurist in 1887. In very
learned treatise ''On the Gifts Bestowed
on Our Redeemer's Birthday" jurist
striving for position Of decent at Wit
tenberg speaks of the candle decked
Christmas tree, under whose boughs the
gifts to the housefolk are spread, gifts
whose justification he sees from legal
standpoint.
Late in the eighteenth century the
tree was more frequently mentioned,
and it was even the great Goethe who
introduced it to the literary world in
his 'Sorrows Of Werther." Goethe
first saw Christmas tree in 1895, when
he was 16 years old, at the house of
Theodor Korner's grandmother. He
says, ''It was hung with all kinds of
sweets, managers holding the Christ
child, the Virgin Mary and Joseph
standing beside the oxen. asses and
lambs.
Do you remember Werther's visit to
Lotte on the Sunday before Christmas
when he finds her alone, preparing
packages Of presents for her small
brothers and sisters? Just as he, suspect
ing nothing, pours out his ecstasy over
their friendship the door suddenly
opens, and the Christmas tree bursts on
his view, with its glimmering wax can
dies, its cakes and apples.
Germany's other idol, Schiller, does
not himself write of any Christmas tree,
but in work by friend Of his we
learn that at Christians time, 1889, he
became betrothed to Lotte Won Lenge-
field and withdrew from an engage
ment to ''pass the holidays under the
Christmas tree' with family in Jena
in order to be with her.
The following Christmas he and his
wife Lotte stood beneath "brightly
glowing tree'' in their own home
The first time the Christmas tree was
enshrined in verse was in 1906, just
200 years from its first historic mention
From that year the custom of decorat-
ing spruce at Christmas spread rapid.
ly all over Germany until about 1880 it
went over the border into France and
was introduced in 1910 by Helen, duch-
ess of Orleans, into the Tuileries
Now over 40, 900 trees are decorated
annually in France. The French people
observe the custom with all their char
acteristic enthusiasm and warm piety.
They have very pretty way of protect
ing the roots of the tree and planting
it again after the holidays are over.
The Christmas tree found it's way into
England through Prince Albert soon aft
er his betrothal to Queen Victoria. A Pc
culiar English custom is that of passing
a small tree round the table after the
Christmas dinner, from which each per-
son plucks the gift previously placed
there for him OF her.
Nor are these the only countries to
follow the Germans in their Christmas
festival. In Italy, the Netherlands,
Russia and Scandinavia the little ones
are made happy by the blooming of the
Christmas tree. Indeed an old German
legend ascribes the origin of the custom
to Sweden, whence it was introduced
into Germany at the time of the Thirty
Years war. But this is only legendary
and has no more claim to our belief
than that other legend of Martin Lu
ther taking forest tree into his house
and decking it with numerous lights to
symbolic the glory of the starlit heay
ems.
In our own country the history of the
Christmas tree is young, and although
many foreigners think the only kind
we have ever seen is one from which
the poetic sentiment is fled, one made
OF iron and lighted by the pressing of a
button with gas or electricity, we, who
have our delightful memories of trim
ming the fragrant evergreen, of helping
it blossom and bear fruit full of sweet
surprises. and who have lighted the
tiny tapers amid much merriment not
unmingled with tender awe at the
thought of the starlight whose rays
have beamed upon US since that first
Christmas long ago-we can testify to
the beauty, the poetry, the warm glow
ing love, surrounding our Christmas
tree, which blooms perennial in cur
hearts long years after the mystery of
hearts. Boston Transcript.
Modern Conveniences.
Ole Sanity is a.comin, yoh kin wager all yoh'v We
got.