The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-12-21
A MYTH OF THE RHINE.
VARIOUS VERSIONS OF THE ORIGIN Oh
CHRISTIANS TREES.
How the Custom Of Decorating Spruce
Has Spread to All Christian Nations "A
Legend of Martin Luther-Memories o.
Tiny Tapers and Sweet Surprises.

Boston Transcript.
One may read in the folklore of the
Rhine district Of mysterious tree
that blooms only on the night before
Christmas, 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 neighbOrhood, may we not be-
lieve that the holy mystery supposed
to be concealed in the blOss0ming tree
was commemorated and perpetuated
in the decoration of the Christmas
spruce? At all events, 1t is in his
tOrical records OF Strasburg from the
year 1905 we first read Ofa real Christ
mas 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, consecratcd
waters, clay cuckoos, sugar." etc.
The use Of the tree spread very
slowly during the 200 years following,
and we next read of it in l646 in a
theological work called milk of the
Catechism." This time it Is not men
toned lovingly, but the author in
Weighs against its use IN the home in
these words:
"Among other frivOlties 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, SO the blossoms fall. Whence comes
this custom ! know not. The whole
thing is chld's play. Better would it
be II one allowed the children to keep
holy day around that spirual cedal
tree, Christ Jesus
| Next we hear of 1t from the stand
point OF the jurist in 1877. In a very
learned treatise ION the Gifts Be
slowed on Our Redecmer's Birthday
3 a jurist striving for position ofdocen
at Wittenberg speaks OF the candl
. decked Christmas tree, under who's,
boughs the gifts to the housefolk arr
spread, gifts whose Justification h
sees from legal standpoint.
Late in the eighteenth century TIL
tree was more frequently mentioned
f and it was even the great Goethe VIII
: introduced it to the literary world II
# his SORROWS OF Werther." Goeth
first saw a Christmas tree in 176s
e when he was l6 years old, at the hous
e of Theodor Corners grandmother. II
e says, "It was hung with all kinds
sweets, managers holding the Chris
C child, the Virgin Mary and Josep
- standing beside the oxen, asses an
a lambs"
DO you remember Werther's visit t
Lotte on the Sunday before Christ
. mas, when he finds her alone, prepa
n ing packages Of presents for her sma
,e brothers and sisters? Just as h
suspecting nothing, pours out h
is ecstacy over their friendship, the dot
1t suddenly opens, and the Christina
1t tree bursts on his view, with its glin
e mering wax candles, its cakes an
apples.
D Germany's other idol, Schiller, dot
y not himself write Of any Christine
~ tree, but In a work by friend OF h
!" we learn that at Christmas time, lis
y he became betrOthed to Lotto vt
Dcngcfeld and Withdrew from an el
y gagemcnt to ''pass the holidays und
:, the Christmas tree" with family
70 Jena In order to he with her.
70 The following Christmas he and h
a wife Lotte stood beneath q "bright
glowing tree" In their own home.
ID The first time the Christmas tr,
Of was enshrlned In verse was in 100
It just 200 years from Its arst historic
'e mention. From that year the custo
y :, Of decorating a spruce ut Christm
= = spread rapidly all over Germany unt
!. about 1880 II went over the bord
y into France and was introduced
1910 by Helen, duchess Of orlean