Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-23
the next Christmas tree will be upright and
burn with a strong, true flame.
Oak Of the Druids.

The story of the Christmas tree which is
told to our little English children is almost
too well known to repeat. When st. Wini-
fred went to Britain he found the people
worshiping a Druid oak on Christmas day,
so he took an ak and started to chop it
down to show that it had no power. In
time the tree tottered and fell with crash,
but in the path Of its fall stood a noble
young fir tree. The big oak split in its fall.
and section fell on either side of the fir,
leaving it unframed. Then st. Winfred'
turned to the people and told them that the
fir should be their holy tree, as it was the
wood of peace and the wood of which their
homes were built. He told them that 1t was
the sign of everlasting life, because 1t
was always green and that 1t always point
ed to heaven. He commanded the people 20
let the tree ever remain free from shelter
ing blood deeds as had the old oak, but to
let it shelter gifts and rites Of peace md
deeds of kindness. Such is the meaning OF
the Christmas tree to our little English
children.
The little Swedish children have one Of
the oldest legends of the Christmas tree
for their own, and the legend is older than
the Christian world but when the Scandt-
navians became Christians they transposed
their world tree or "yggdrasil" into
Christmas tree. The ancient people be-
lieved the world to be tree, with it's top
in heaven and it's roots in hell, and people
went up and down according to their deeds.
The yggdrasil was always green with far
spreading branches, so the Norway fir was
taken as a symbol Of 1t. Then when the
Christian religion went into the far north
land the people reasoned that the yggdrasil
should be the sign of the birth OF Christ,
as it's branches were wide spreading and
Christ was a branch. Our Swedish chill
dren have two myths to choose from. how
ever. and the second is more romantic and
of later date. In the olden days two lovers
n nj
save one another. From the spot where
their blood fell on the ground sprang up
fir tree On every Christmas eve the chill
dren believe that tiny lights burn in the
branches of the service tree" and no mat
ter how great gale is blowing the lights
burn steadily and are never blown out. This
gives the Swedish children a reason for the
candles on their Christmas tree.
Belief Of Italians.
The little Italians get the idea of their
Christmas tree from their ancestors who
overran the ancient world. When the Sa-
turnalia came around pine trees were
brought into the homes and hung with tiny
images Of Bacchus. When the gods and
goddesses- were nothing but mythology the
Italians kept up the. custom Of the deco
rated pine trees in a small way, and 1t Is
claimed that these were the original Christ
mas trees. The German children have the
right to claim the first real Christmas tree,
for early in the seventeenth century the
Christmas tree was a reality, not myth
with them. The first records show a Christ
mas tree. in Strassburg in 1908, and slowly
the custom spread along the banks of the
legend-hung Rhine, then crawled slowly
into other countries, until now the twin
king lights of the Christmas tree will h,eh
around the world on Thursday. TIE Ger
mans first used the tree as a feature Of
their Twelfth Night celebration. but trans
ferred 1t to Christmas The children are
told that the lighted candles signify the
light of the world